'Off his head' knifeman held up shop but then put it down and paid for drink

This Smaczek supermarket on Connah's Quay High Street was targeted by the raider
-Credit: (Image: Google instant street view)


A knifeman who held up a shop was "off his head" and using a headtorch in daylight. Michael Griffiths raided the premises but ended up putting down the knife and paying for a drink before leaving.

A judge at Mold Crown Court praised the "remarkable" presence of mind of a shop worker. Griffiths, 43, admitted possessing a bladed article in a public place and affray in the incident on Connah's Quay High Street.

But he said he is being rehabilitated and gave him a ten-month jail term for the bladed article offence, suspended for 18 months. There was no separate penalty for the affray as it was part of the same incident.

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Prosecutor Joshua Gorst said Griffiths went into the Smaczek shop brandishing a knife on April 26 this year. A shop worker Magdalena Piortrowska was frightened and felt he might attack her. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here

She retreated to a back room and a male colleague came out and saw Griffiths holding the weapon, the court heard. In an attempt to calm the situation this man Paval Hassan offered to buy the defendant's knife for £10.

Griffiths and Mr Hassan had a conversation, Griffiths put down the knife, paid for a drink and left, said the prosecutor. CCTV of the incident, in which Griffiths is wearing a head torch even though it is daylight, was played on court.

Police arrested Griffiths soon afterwards. He initially denied the offences but when shown the footage agreed it was him and that he had no reason to have a knife.

He had wanted money from the till. Jemma Gordon, defending, said the defendant does have some insight into his issues. She agreed with the judge that Griffiths believed an earlier drink had been spiked.

The judge His Honour Rhys Rowlands said it had been a "very large knife" and he was "off his head". He told Griffiths in the dock that hospital staff have to deal with many cases of knife crime in which the effects are "often serious, occasionally tragic".

Ms Piortrowska feared Griffiths would use the knife and Mr Hassan had shown "remarkable presence of mind" to deal with the intruder.

But the defendant is taking prescribed medication now and has a real prospect of rehabilitation based on work he has already been doing with the probation service.

Suspending the defendant's jail sentence, the judge ordered an existing 7pm to 7am curfew from an earlier offence to continue for an extra two months. The defendant, of Clwyd Street, Shotton, has already been on this electronically-monitored tag for that curfew for 151 days since April.

He must also do 20 days of rehabilitation activity and pay a £187 surcharge..

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