Teenager, who committed knife-point burglary at Crawley c-store, jailed for five years

A teenager, who committed a knife-point aggravated burglary at a convenience store in Crawley, has been jailed for five years, Sussex Police reported last week.

According to local reports, 18-year-old Thomas Penny, of Brighton Road, Redhill, Surrey, has been charged with aggravated burglary at Lewes Crown Court on Friday, June 10. He pleaded guilty to the offence and was sentenced to five years in a young offender institution.

Police were called to the incident at Casbah in Horsham Road about 11.25pm on December 16.

Sussex Police said a member of staff was preparing to close for the evening when two masked men – both armed with knives – entered the shop and immediately walked behind the counter. They started taking bottles of alcohol from the shelf and cash from the till, and the worker sustained a small cut to the head as he attempted to intervene, police added.

After Penny’s arrest in an unrelated matter in Dorking, Surrey, the police was able to link him to the aggravated burglary in Crawley. Further examination also revealed he had carried out an internet search with the words “Crawley knife point robbery”.

The second suspect was not traced and remains outstanding, Sussex Police added.