A HOMELESS man who tried to rob a cashier in the Esso petrol station has been sent to prison.

James David Reynolds, 41, of no fixed address, has been sentenced to a total of 28 months in prison for offences including possession of a knife and attempted robbery.

At around 8.30pm on March 17 Reynolds entered the Esso Garage in East Street, Warminster, and grabbed the t-shirt of a staff member, threatened him with a knife and ordered him to hand over cash.

The staff member was able to get away safely and Reynolds ran out of the shop empty-handed.

Reynolds appeared at Swindon Crown court on Tuesday, June 4 and pleaded guilty to the offences plus separate counts of burglary and fraud.

DC Jayne Wilby, who investigated the incidents, said: “Fortunately, in this case no one was injured but any crime involving a knife has the potential to be life changing for everyone involved.

“The assistance of the public with our appeals for information has led to a positive outcome for this incident and we thank them for their co-operation.

“We encourage anyone with information about knife crimes to contact us on 101 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 so we can take preventative action.”