AN ARMED robber who stole £140 from a Cwmbran off-licence to help pay off thousands of pounds worth of debt was jailed for four years.

Aaron Butcher, 33, wore a hooded top and scarf to disguise his face when he entered Richmond Wines in Pontnewydd, armed with a knife around 5pm on February 13.

He looked around the shop before approaching shop owner Sunita Parekh, 48, and demanded "give me the money, open the till."

The brave worker refused and pushed him away.

He pushed and back and the pair fought for around two minutes before Butcher managed to open the till.

Cardiff Crown Court heard he forced his hand inside just as a 15-year-old boy entered the store.

Butcher banished the knife, which had a six-inch blade, towards him and told him to lie face down on the floor before grabbing a handful of bank notes and running off.

Mrs Parekh called for her family and her son chased him out of the shop into the street.

Butcher, a qualified carpet fitter, dropped some money on the ground, which distracted Mrs Parekh' son who stopped to collect it.

He was identified from CCTV footage and was arrested two days later.

He made full admissions in interview and told police men from Bristol told him to rob a shop to pay them back thousands of pounds he owed them.

Andrew Taylor, defending, said Butcher was deeply remorseful for his actions and was "beside himself" for the upset he had caused to his victim.

He said the father-of-three had struggled to cope with the death of his mother a year earlier and his own dad had now disowned him for his actions.

Butcher, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced to four years in prison for the offence. He also admitted having an article with a blade and was given 12 months custody to run concurrent.