A ROBBER who got locked inside the convenience store she was targeting has been jailed for more than two years.

Justine Roberts threatened a male cashier at East Street Convenience Store in East Street, Southend, with a 12-inch kitchen knife and demanded he hand over cash and alcohol on June 2.

The 41-year-old helped herself to a bottle of vodka, cigarettes and a two-figure sum of cash from the till at around 6.30pm before realising the victim had left the store and locked her inside.

The cashier, a man in his 30s from the Southend area, managed to flag down a passing car and ask the driver to alert police.

Officers arrived to find Roberts inside the store drinking vodka. She was arrested her on suspicion of robbery and later charged.

Roberts of East Street, Southend, pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on August 18, 2016.

She was sentenced to two years and four months’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £120.

Investigating Officer, Dc Andy Coles from Southend CID, said: “Justine Roberts went to the convenience store that day having planned what she was going to do. She wore a beanie hat which she pulled down over her eyes in attempt to disguise her face and took a kitchen knife from home with which to threaten the shop assistant.

“The assistant was unharmed but left extremely shaken by this incident. I hope Roberts’ time behind bars gives her time to think about the consequences of her actions.”