A MAN who threatened a cashier with a child’s Peppa Pig knife and demanded cash from the till has been jailed.

David Sutton, 28, of St Michael’s Road, Canvey, walked into Martin’s newsagents, in Church Road, Benfleet, and engaged the store manager in conversation before he pulled a balaclava over his face.

Southend Crown Court heard yesterday how Sutton demanded that the cashier hand over any cash in the till.

At the time of the attempted robbery, which took place at about 6am on January 16, there was hardly any money inside the till.

When the cashier told Sutton so, he demanded that she get cash out of the safe.

The quick-thinking store manager managed to switch on her alarm, which spooked Sutton and caused him to flee from the scene empty-handed.

Prosecutor Shanda Mcateer said that Sutton was arrested after his fingerprints were found on the counter.

Ms Mcateer said: “The knife was described as a Peppa Pig knife from a children’s cutlery set.”

At the hearing, Sutton was also sentenced for a separate matter, which took place on July 8 last year at a BP garage on the A13.

Ms Mcateer said: “A police officer was at the garage when he was approached by a woman saying that she had seen a driver driving erratically and he had clipped a kerb.

“The officer approached Sutton at a pump, who said that he hadn’t been driving.”

Sutton then tried to get back inside his car and turn the engine on, at which point the officer put his arm inside the car and a struggle ensued. Sutton then reversed and hit a petrol pump with his car before driving off.

Speaking about the robbery, Nick Bonehill, mitigating, told the court: “It’s almost as if in his brain, he was deciding whether to do it or not.

“He was very easily seen on CCTV.

“He was not a young man in a clear state of mind.”

Sutton admitted dangerous driving, criminal damage, making off without payment, attempted robbery and possession of a bladed article.

Recorder John Coffey QC jailed Sutton for a total of 33 months and banned him from driving for 12 months.