A GARAGE owner has told how he was attacked as he walked to bank some takings.

Paul Christopher Hughes struggled with a mugger and was determined not to let him take his bag which contained £3,800 in cash and cheques.

Following the struggle in Egerton Street, Wrexham, the attacker ran off empty-handed, leaving Mr Hughes injured and shocked.

John Thomas Ithell, 46, of Cottage Mews, New Broughton, Wrexham, denied attempted robbery on May 21 and put forward an alibi.

But he was unanimously convicted after a short retirement by a Mold Crown Court jury yesterday and was jailed for three years.

Judge Niclas Parry told Ithell that over a 30 year period he had consistently committed offences of dishonesty and tried to carry out the attempted robbery when he was on licence from an earlier prison sentence.

“You clearly targeted this man,” the judge said.

“You are a regular in Wrexham. You knew when he took the money from the garage to the bank.

“There was nothing to indicate that he was carrying money that day.”

The victim had been left injured and in shock.

Judge Parry described Mr Hughes, of Barton Road Garage, Barton, near Farndon, as a decent businessman going about his business and banking his hard-earned money”.

Mr Hughes said in evidence: “Knowing how much money was in the bag I held on tight.”