Prison sentence for Ham Post Office robber

A 26-year-old man from Westbury has been sentenced to two years and four months imprisonment after pleading guilty to attempted robbery and possession of a bladed article.

Stephen Sims, of Bridge Court, appeared at Swindon Crown Court for sentencing on Monday 8th September.

On 1st July 2015, Sims entered The Ham Post Office in Westbury at approximately 8.45am and made his way to the cigarette counter whilst brandishing a knife at the cashier. He ran behind the counter and demanded the cashier hand over money from the till.

Fortunately, the 48-year-old cashier pressed the panic alarm and Sims fled from the store without any cash.

Detective Constable Michelle Hilton said, “This was understandably a very frightening experience for the cashier and it was fortunate that he was not injured during the incident, however he was left extremely shocked and distressed.

“I am satisfied with the sentence handed out earlier this week which proves how serious this offence was.

“Sim’s actions caused a considerable amount of fear within the local close-knit community of Westbury and I hope this sentence serves as a warning to others that we will use the full weight of the law to bring you to justice.”