A ROBBER who targeted shops and a restaurant armed with a broken bottle has been jailed.
James Parsons wounded an 80-year-old woman in a struggle as he tried to leave a convenience store without paying and tried to grab a tips jar from the hands of staff at a restaurant.
He was jailed for four years and 11 months after pleading guilty to two counts each of robbery, attempted robbery and theft, plus one charge of criminal damage at shops in Fishponds, Greenbank and St Werburgh’s.
Avon & Somerset police said Parsons, aged 26, carried out all of the attacks in early June, starting at the Spar shop in Greenbank.
Two store workers, a woman in her 80s and her son, challenged him as he tried to leave without paying for items including Aptamil baby formula – a common target for shoplifters.
Parsons pulled a broken wine bottle from his bag, waved it around and cut the woman’s hand before pushing his way out of the shop and throwing a Lottery sign at the glass door, breaking it.
The incident was captured on the shop’s CCTV
Over the next ten days he confronted staff at two more shops and a restaurant, threatening a staff member at a branch of Better Food, who challenged him after seeing him pick up shopping on CCTV then try to leave without paying.
Parsons, of no fixed address, pulled a broken bottle on the shop worker and her manager before making off.
Struggle over tips jar
The same day he tried to steal tip money from Napolita Restaurant in St Werburghs.
Staff recognised Parsons from a previous incident and tried to take the tip jar out of his reach but he tried to snatch it and waved a broken bottle at them before leaving empty-handed.
He then targeted a 10 Plus One Shop in Fishponds on two days in a row, stealing alcohol and threatening to stab staff on both occasions.
Police arrested Parsons six days later after spotting him in Broadmead.
Police ‘serious’ about retail crime
Sergeant Mark Dennis said: “Avon and Somerset police are serious about responding robustly to retail crime and violence against staff members, focusing our attention on perpetrators and seeking to hold them to account for their crimes which impact our business owners and workers.
“We welcome this sentence against a violent offender, who appeared intent on causing harm to members of our community.
“We encourage members of the public and shop workers to report shoplifters to us.
“This case shows the importance of good quality CCTV and how it can really help us to bring criminals like Parsons to justice.”