AN ARMED robber who punched pub staff and pulled women's hair during a terrifying knifepoint raid to pay off drug debts has been jailed for 40 months.
Craig Winskill, 24, stormed the Sun Inn, Feering, with his accomplice, Jaymes Lang on Monday April 14 just after 11pm.
Wearing hoods over their heads and scarves over their lower faces, they punched a chef in the face, and rounded up customers into the kitchen to lie on the floor.
Three women and two male members of staff were assaulted as cash, jewellery, handbags and mobile phones were taken from the victims and put into a bin bag.
A necklace was even ripped from a female customer waiting for a taxi during the attack as Winskill and Lang brandished three knives in their continued attempt to get to the pub's safe.
However, a waitress managed to escape and fled to a nearby pub to raise the alarm.
The robbers fled the scene and Winskill was found by police tracker dogs in a nearby garden hiding in some bushes. When he was arrested, Winskill told police: "I'm just the bait, the other guy was the one who did it."
Lang evaded capture and committed another robbery at a Braintree Co-op store on April 22 at around 4pm.
The 23-year-old, formerly of Witham and Greenstead in Colchester, was sentenced to four years in jail at Chelmsford Crown Court on July 21.
Laura Kenyon, prosecuting, said: "This case was aggravated by the fact it was in a public place with use of a weapon to threaten and the use of a disguise to conceal their identities.
"There was also an element of preplanning to the robbery."
On Monday (August 4), Chelmsford Crown Court heard how Winskill's life "went to pieces" after the breakdown of a relationship with the mother of his two-year-old daughter.
As a child he had also witnessed his dad being attacked with a hammer and his mother become the victim of domestic abuse at the hands of a later partner.
The talented footballer, who was a Colchester United youth player until he was struck down with a crippling dislocated knee injury, developed a cocaine habit and decided to rob the pub after owing money to drug dealers.
"Lang was the ringleader and Winskill had considerable debt after becoming addicted to cocaine and felt the only way to deal with it was to rob the pub," said Anna Perera, defending Winskill.
"He chose a pub because he wrongly thought there wouldn't be any customers at that time.
"During the robbery he was petrified and sought to reassure the customers that everything would be all right.
"He has taken several courses in prison and doesn't want a life of crime and is determined to lead a normal life."
The court heard how Winskill, of New Park Street, Colchester, had 11 previous convictions for 14 offences dating back to the age of 14, including common assault, shoplifting, burglary, theft and criminal damage.
The father-of-one had served 24 weeks at a young offender's institute for breaching conditions of a suspended sentence for burglary and theft from 2011.
Sentencing him, Recorder Malcolm Davis-White said: "This involved a serious assault on members of the public you committed because you had a drug habit, and were unable to pay your suppliers.
"It's very fortunate serious injuries were not sustained.
"These were stupid offences, it was very dangerous and it's time for you to try and turn yourself around by not offending again."
The judge ordered the destruction of the knives used in the robbery and sentenced Winskill to three years and four months in prison as well as ordering him to pay a victim surcharge.
