Masked knife-wielding man jailed over Plymouth Lidl terror

Shopworkers and shoppers bravely confronted a masked knife-wielding man who attempted to rob a Lidl store in Woolwell during the summer.

Logan Hendry, aged 24, of no fixed abode, Plymouth, appeared at Plymouth Crown Court today [December 17] after he previously pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, wounding with intent, threatening a person with a bladed article in a public place, taking a motor vehicle without consent and a number of driving offences, including failing to stop for police.

Hendry had entered the Lidl store in Woolwell shortly after 12.10pm on Friday August 16 and queued up with other customers at one of the checkout lanes. Just before he got to the female cashier he pulled down his balaclava and pulled out a filleting knife, whereupon he threatened her.

The court heard he told the terrified woman "give me all your notes, I won't hurt you, just give me all your notes". She refused to give him any money, slamming the till closed and calling for help.

He then approached a male member of staff and said "give me the notes from the till or I will stab you". Hendry then took ahold of a female customer by her arm and pointed the knife at her stomach and said "I won't stab her if you give me money".

At this point, seeing what was happening, a male customer picked up a battery recycling container and hit Hendry over the head with it, knocking him off balance. The male customer and the male member of staff then attempted to force Hendry out of the store, using the recycling container and a chair, to protect themselves.

As they pushed him out, Hendry was trying to slash them with the knife and kicked out at them. During the melee, the male customer sustained a small cut to his arm, but Hendry eventually gave up and was forced to leave the store.

Hendry then got into a white van and drove it away despite having no licence or insurance and without the consent of the owner. The court heard police then attempted to block the van as he drove towards Yelverton but he evaded them by driving away and even going off road.

He was later seen to leave his vehicle and ran into a wooded area where he was found by a police dog unit and arrested.

The court was told by prosecutor Lewis Aldous that Hendry had 29 offences to his name, including assaults on emergency workers, aggravated vehicle taking, battery, driving offences including failing to stop and no insurance, driving without a licence, shoplifting and actual bodily harm. He said that Hendry was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident

Mr Aldous said the incident had had a "lasting impact" on the victims leaving one suffering sleep issues and anxiety. He noted that this took place in the middle of the day in a busy supermarket.

In mitigation, Hendry's advocate Ali Rafati said his client he had suffered "unhappy chapters" during his life and both Hendry and his mother had felt he was taken advantage of by others who manipulated him by demanding higher and higher rent at a place he had been invited to stay at.

Mr Rafati also highlighted that the balaclava and clothing worn on that day were not even owned by him and since he has been held in custody he had been doing "well".

Judge Matthew Turner told Hendry he would grant him a 25 percent discount due to his early guilty plea. He also noted that the female customer who had the knife held towards her stomach later told police she was "incredibly shaken up" by the experience.

He accepted that Hendry took no money during the offence but that he was under the influence of drugs at the time, and he was in "no doubt that that was the motivation for this offending" and that he had attempted to conceal his identity with a balaclava.

Judge Turner also said he noted that Hendry was "still only 24 years of age - you are still a young man and, and I mean no disrespect by this, you are still immature".

The judge told Hendry he would received a sentence of three years for the attempt robbery, one and a half years for threats with a bladed article, nine months for the actual bodily harm and two months for the taking without consent, all to run concurrently - resulting in a total of three years of which he would serve half before being released on licence. He was told he would be disqualified from driving for a total of 30 months.

For the careless driving, failing to stop, no insurance and no licence there would be no separate penalty but his licence would be endorsed.

Det Con Sabrina Turner, who led the investigation, said: "This was a shocking incident that occurred in a busy store in the middle of the day and was witnessed by terrified members of the public.

"We are pleased the defendant has accepted responsibility for his actions and has now been sentenced. We hope this sends out a strong message that violent crime in Plymouth will not be tolerated.

"We would like to thank the members of staff and the public for their bravery in intervening and assisting in removing the defendant from the store.

"Although we would not normally encourage people to intervene, it is only right we recognise they have selflessly put themselves in a dangerous situation to protect others."

If you have been affected by crime, please visit victimcare-dc.org to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system. You can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111 or Devon and Cornwall Police ’s Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900.

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