Masked robber from Derby targets same Nottingham newsagent twice in three days

An alcohol-dependent Derby man, who reached the age of 36 without ever troubling the police, robbed the same Nottingham newsagents twice in three days. Nottingham Crown Court heard how on both occasions masked Richard Kavanagh threatened to stab the lone worker in the MSR store in Radcliffe Road, West Bridgford, opposite the Trent Bridge Inn.

Two days after those robberies he entered the same shop a third time but was recognised by one of his victims who alerted a customer and local councillor who followed him until the police arrived. Now he is tasting custody for the first time in his life just short of his 39th birthday.

Jailing the defendant, of Normanton, for two-and-a-half years, Recorder Adrian Reynolds said: “These people offer a service to the public and what you did, particularly to the second victim when you produced a weapon, was not just steal his employer’s money but you stole his peace of mind which is something altogether more precious.

“For a considerable amount of time after, he was looking over his shoulder and you cannot treat people like that. Unusually you have no previous convictions and you are a man in his mid-to-late 30s not some hot-headed teenager.”

David Outterside, prosecuting, played CCTV footage of both robberies at this week’s sentencing hearing. On both occasions, August 10 and 13, 2022, it showed Kavanagh, his head and face covered to avoid detection, walk into the store, which is close to Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, and demand cash from the till before leaving.

On the second robbery, the defendant can be seen taking something silver and metal from the picket of his hoodie and showing it to the terrified victim. The prosecutor said: “On the first robbery he says to the cashier ‘I will have the cash out of the till, I am being serious, I have a knife’ and on the second occasion he says ‘I want the cash out of the till or I will stab you in the neck’ before producing something from his hoodie pocket and showing the victim it.

“Two days later he returned a third time and was recognised by the second victim who told a customer, who is also a local councillor, who bravely followed the defendant while the police were called.”

Kavanagh, of Palmerston Street, pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and possession of an offensive weapon. He was handed just over £100 during the two incidents.

Mr Outterside read out an impact statement made by the second victim. In it he told how he had to take time off work and has lost £2,000 in wages. He said: “The robbery has definitely changed me as a person. Immediately after the robbery I felt anxious and when I returned to work felt like time stopped when I was in the shop.”

Will Bennett, mitigating, said his client’s alcohol dependency means he will struggle during his first ever jail term as without it he suffers fits. He said: “The root cause of this offending is alcohol and he was obviously at a desperately low ebb. I can’t get away from it and he can’t get away from it.”