Arrested a day after a knife point robbery at a Cambridgeshire betting shop, David Edge has been jailed for six years.
Detective Constable Sarah Longbottom, who investigated, said: “This incident was incredibly frightening for the people involved.
“Edge entered the premises armed with a weapon and none of the victims knew what his capabilities were.
“Thankfully nobody was injured, but we should not underestimate the impact that this robbery had on them, but we should not underestimate the impact that this robbery had on them.”
Edge, 36, of Grenfell Road, Ramsey, took a large kitchen knife to the shop in Little Whyte at about 1.21pm on 29 June.
Once inside he demanded staff hand over cash from the till drawers before threatening staff to locate and open the safe.
He also instructed them to open up the fruit machines before turning the knife to the stomach of a member of the public where he demanded further cash. He made off with around £2,000.
Cambridgeshire Constabulary issued a CCTV appeal later in the day and Edge was identified as the suspect. He was arrested by officers from the Armed Policing Unit the next day in Newton Road where a large amount of cash was also recovered.
Clothing matching what he was wearing in the CCTV was also recovered during a search of his home.
At Peterborough Crown Court on Friday (4 August) Edge was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of robbery and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
