Robber had 'crisis of conscience'

Crumley carried out the robbery with another man who has not been caught

A man who threatened a customer while robbing a shop in Belfast has been sentenced to seven years.

John Crumley, 22, of Lagmore Grove in Dunmurry, was one of two men who robbed Clifton Street petrol station in north Belfast in November 2008.

Belfast Crown Court heard that within minutes of that robbery, the men entered a shop on the Antrim Road and held an imitation gun to a man's head.

Crumley will spend four years in prison and three on probation.

Judge Corinne Philpott warned that any breach of probation would see him returned to jail.

"This is a serious offence, he pointed a replica gun at four people and terrified a young boy, the only thing can be said is at least he did not point the gun at the child," she said.

The court was told that Crumley handed himself into the police two days after the robberies and later pleaded guilty to robbery and having an imitation firearm with intent to commit robbery.

During police questioning he claimed he had been so high on drink, drugs and prescription tranquilisers he couldn't even really remember what he had done, but he had a "flashback" and a "crisis of conscience" and decided to confess.

His accomplice has yet to be caught.