A knife-wielding teenager held up his local kebab shop armed with a nine inch edge just for a free bag of chips. Matthew Hawkins, 19, banged the knife on the shop counter and told staff he would ‘cut’ them if they didn’t hand over the £1.60 chips.
CCTV footage shows Hawkins storming into Yummies Pizza and Kebab shop in Swansea, South Wales, demanding the chips.
In the video, Hawkin storms into the kebab shop while waving the kife and says: ‘I want some free chips.’ A staff member asks why, and Hawkins replies: ‘Because I said so.
I’ve got a knife.’ Hawkins begins shouting at the server while making ‘stabbing motions’ and then bangs the armer on the counter. Staff try to placate him by saying he could pay for chips – but Hawkins shouts: ‘I want free chips. Hurry up or I’m going to cut you.’
The stand-off lasted 15 minutes before Hawkins walked out saying: ‘I’m going to rob next door – then I’m coming back for my chips.’ Craig Jones, prosecuting, said Hawkins went to the neighbouring Best One shop where he again brandished the knife before picking up items from the shelves, telling staff he was not going to pay for them.
The Yummies kebab shop worker had followed Hawkins out of his takeaway and closed the front door of the store to trap him inside until armed cop arrived.
Cop found Hawkins banging on the front door, and shouting: ‘Give me my chips’. Mr Jones said: ‘It was clear from personal impact statements from the suffer that the whole experience had been a very frightening one.’ Hawkins, of Winch Wen, Swansea, pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted mugging and one of possession of a article. Swansea Crown Court heard he has no previous convictions.
Hywel Davies, defending Hawkins, said the defendant had learning difficulties, and struggled to understand the consequences of actions. Judge Paul Thomas QC told Hawkins he must have ‘frightened the living daylights’ out of his suffer by his actions. He said: ‘The courts have a duty to protect workers in small businesses who were vulnerable to such charge.’ He sentenced him to a total of three years in a young offenders institution and made the subject of restraining orders banning him from contacting his suffer for the next five years.
This Article Was Originally Published On dailymail.co.uk (26 July 2020)