A THUG raided a village convenience store while brandishing a meat cleaver.

Sam Hewett put staff through a “terrifying ordeal” at the Co-op in The Square in the village of Westbourne in May.

The unemployed 31-year-old robbed the shop by demanding cash from the tills while masked in a balaclava and baseball cap. He also wore green medical gloves.

He vaulted over the counter and took £400 before fleeing.

The Argus:

Video footage captured the moment Hewett burst over the counter.

But the baseball cap was dropped in his hurry, and Hewett’s DNA was found on it, while a search of his home found clothes matching the description seen on CCTV.

Read more on this story:

At Portsmouth Crown Court Hewett admitted armed robbery and possession of a bladed article in public.

The Argus:

The court was also told of a burglary he committed at a fish ‘n’ chip shop in Westbourne in September last year, and a burglary at a barbers in Havant, Hampshire.

A charity tin and till were taken from the chippy during the raid.

Hewett, of Renown Gardens, Waterlooville, was jailed for a total of five years.

The Argus:

Detective Sergeant Jason Vickers said: "Hewett travelled around six miles from his home address just to commit this robbery in Westbourne.

“While no one was hurt, it was a terrifying ordeal for the staff member working in the shop at the time.

“We worked closely with our colleagues in Hampshire Constabulary to arrest and secure the charges against Hewett, and we are pleased to see the severity of his offending reflected in his sentence.”

You can keep up to date with the latest court reports on a new Facebook group here: Sussex crime and court watch