Robber jailed for store raid
A Somalian man living in the West Midlands has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after attacking a shop owner.
Yassin Jibril, 31, who has lived in the UK for 12 years, smashed a bottle of whiskey over the shopkeeper's head during the robbery on August 25, 2013, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
Jibril, of Chervil Rise, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, and another unknown assailant, raided Park Village Stores on Cannock Road where they stole alcohol and cigarettes, the court was told.
Mr Mark Rees, prosecuting, played CCTV footage which showed Jibril kicking and stamping on the shop owner, Mohammed Khan, while taking bottles and cigarettes from behind the counter.
Mr Rees said: "The defendant went to buy some alcohol from the store but had problems with paying by card.
"Mr Khan is familiar with situations like this so refused to give the goods until the money had been paid.
"The defendant left the store but came back later with another man, who held Mr Khan down while Jibril took the bottles from behind the counter.
"Mr Khan suffered a cut to the head from a bottle being smashed on his head, which you can see the defendant do in the CCTV footage."
Mr Rees said the pair had stolen around £430 of alcohol and cigarettes.
He added that in a police interview, Jibril, who admitted robbery, said he had been forced to carry out the offence by a rival Somalian gang.
Mr Gurdeep Garcha, for Jibril, said his client had a tough upbringing which led to him becoming dependent on alcohol. He said: "This is quite clearly a brazen offence which happened in broad daylight."
