A Mount Maunganui man, who attempted to rob a 77-year-old storekeeper with a large bread knife, has been jailed.
Forestry worker Connor Kaleb Cummerfield, 19, who in appeared in Tauranga District Court today via audio-visual link, earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of assault with intent to rob.
Cummerfield attempted to rob the female storekeeper at the Souvenir Store in Maunganui Rd, Mount Maunganui on July 22, before fleeing empty-handed.
He was sentenced today by Judge Robert Wolff, who ordered Cummerfield to serve a jail term of three years and three months.
Cummerfield entered the store about 2pm and after about 30 minutes. The victim became uncomfortable and told him she was going to close the shop, and stepped into the back storage area to get her keys.
Returning to the shop she tried to usher Cummerfield towards the exit door, but he stepped in front of her holding a large bread knife with a serrated blade in his left hand.
He starting yelling at her "give me the f****** money".
Cummerfield yelled this demand a number of times while moving towards the shopkeeper forcing her back behind the cash till at knifepoint.
The terrified victim had trouble opening the till using the key and Cummerfield was standing over the top of her screaming "hurry up" over and over again.
As he stepped into the doorway of the rear storeroom the victim made a run for the front door.
Cummerfield then fled out the back door and fled in his station wagon parked on Prince Avenue.