Man robbed pharmacy after making acid threat

2:49pm Sunday 22nd April 2007

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A 6ft 7in man threatened to spray acid in the face of a pharmacy assistant during a robbery in Feltham, Isleworth Crown Court heard on Friday.

Richard Antoine, 41 of Kilross Road, Bedfont got away with more than £350 in cash but was caught the next day.

The small blue phial which he brandished in the pharmacy at Rochester Parade, Feltham, was his asthma pump.

Antoine, who has a long criminal record, admitted robbing Christine Martin of the cash and her mobile phone on March 6 at the Alliance Pharmacy.

He was jailed for four years and told by the judge, Recorder Ian Peddie QC, that had he not admitted the offence the sentence would have been six years and, had the phial contained acid, he would have considered an indeterminate' sentence involving a life on licence.

Prosecutor Charlotte Yarrow, said Antoine went to the pharmacy late in the day and waited for other customers to leave before engaging Ms Martin in conversation.

"He followed her to the rear of the shop and produced a small medicine bottle and told her it contained acid", she said.

Having taken about £50 cash in change from the till he went to the safe where there was about £350 of the day's takings," said counsel.

Ms Martin and a pharmacist were told to lie on the floor face down and not to call the police or raise the alarm.

"His description was circulated and he was arrested the following day.

"The bottle was found on him," said Ms Yarrow.

His counsel, Narita Bahra, explained that the bottle was an asthma pump and that he expected to go to prison.

"But he has decided he does not want to spend the rest of his life in prison," she said.

"He has a terrible criminal record and is effectively institutionalised, having spent his childhood in care and been in trouble ever since".