A DEESIDE man who used a toy gun to intimidate a worker has been jailed for the ‘incompetent’ and ‘serious’ incident.

Stefern Goode, of Deva Avenue in Connah’s Quay, appeared at Caernarfon Crown Court on February 18 for attempted robbery and firearm offences.

Prosecution counsel Sarah Badrawy told the court how on October 19, Goode went into Mccoll’s newsagents on the Red Hall Estate wearing a ‘full face mask’ and ‘brandishing a toy gun’ which he used to demand money from the post office in the shop.

The court heard how the toy gun was held to a staff member’s head who was ‘confident’ the gun was not real, and ‘recognised his voice’.

Goode was ‘told to go away and stop being silly’ but the shop worker did not ‘fear for her life’.

Ms Badrawy said the worker ‘pushed past’ him and walked towards the door, with Goode ‘following’.

When she returned in the shop, Goode ‘did not follow’ but upon a police search three BB guns were found.

The court heard how when he was interviewed, Goode said he was ‘at home asleep’ with his partner.

In a victim personal statement, the court heard how the staff member was ‘not particularly concerned’, but afterwards it had ‘made her anxious’ and felt herself waking in the night ‘thinking about it’.

Defence Counsel Simon Mintz said the mitigating factors were that it was an ‘attempted’ robbery so there was ‘no actual force’ and the victim ‘pushed past him to leave the shop’.

He added this ‘kind of offence is always shocking to the victim’ but fortunately, the victim was not in any way ‘intimidated and saw the toy gun for what it was’.

He added Goode had not seen his partner or step-children since he had been incarcerated in October.

Judge Niclas Parry described the offence as ‘incompetent’ as well as ‘serious’.

He added: “Small stores in which lone females often work are targets.

“You were out in the early hours of the morning carrying out what could have been a terrifying attack.

“You were masked to hide your appearance, you had an imitation weapon and one can only comment the remarkable fortitude of the lady who came across you.”

Judge Parry said the staff member’s ‘decency and honesty’ in not exaggerating the ‘impact of this potentially dreadful incident’ helped in mitigating the sentence.

Goode, who is ‘no stranger to the court’, was given credit for his early guilty plea and Judge Parry had taken into account the ‘onerous’ conditions brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Goode was given a total custodial sentence of 3.5 years, of which he will serve half.