A KNIFEMAN who robbed an isolated village store in Staffordshire was jailed for four years.
The defendant shouted 'give me the money' reached over the counter and grabbed a handful of notes, Stafford Crown Court heard.
He fled from the shop to a waiting taxi, but was pursued by shop owner Jasbir Singh and his wife, who banged on the taxi windows.
Paul Farrow, prosecuting, said Jones got out of the taxi, dropping the knife on the ground.
He picked up the weapon and ran off.
Five days after the robbery, on November 10, Jones went on to burgle a bungalow in Garden Drive, Rugeley, taking cash and goods.
Left behind in the property was a black-handled knife which had the defendant's DNA on it.
Jones, 31, of no fixed address, admitted charges of robbery and burglary, plus a string of other offences and asked for nine further offences to be considered.
Judge Michael Chambers QC said: "You clearly have had personal difficulties in relation to drug abuse, but whatever your problems they can be no excuse for the repeated and serious offending you undertook.
"I need to protect the public from you."
Mr Farrow said Jones's catalogue of offences started with an assault on his partner Kelly Barnes on 1 June.
In September he stole jewellery and other property from his mother's house in Rugeley.
Some of it was later recovered from a pawn shop in the town. Judge Chambers branded these "mean offences."
On 5 November Jones stole money from a charity box at Rugeley's Cedar Hotel and later the same day committed the robbery in Hazelslade.
Jones got away with around £750 in cash.
Stephen Bailey, defending, said: "He has been fighting a losing battle against heroin for the entirety of his adult life. he is desperate to stay clean of heroin."
