A MASKED gunman who burst into a snooker club and tried to rob a barmaid he had befriended has been jailed.

Terrified Yvette Smith thought she was going to die after Luke Jones pointed a handgun at her as she cashed up late at night last Christmas.

But despite his balaclava disguise, she immediately recognised him during the stick-up bid at Bargoed Snooker Club.

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The horrified victim asked him: “Why are you doing this to me Luke?”

Cardiff Crown Court heard how the defendant only lived 100 yards from the club and had struck up a friendship with Ms Smith after he became a regular customer.

Judge Michael Fitton QC saw footage of the attempted raid and how Jones pulled off his mask and then hugged and tried to console his distraught victim.

Prosecutor Heath Edwards said: “Ms Smith was particularly fearful of guns as one of her family took his own life with a firearm.

“The defendant would have known this as she had told him about it.

“He had pointed the gun at her head. She believed it was real.”

Mr Edwards read out a statement Ms Smith made to the police.

She said: “I was absolutely petrified and I feel completely distraught. I used to feel confident working in a busy valleys snooker club.

“I honestly thought the gun was real and that I was going to be killed.

“Last night as I tried to go to sleep, every time I closed my eyes, I saw a gun in my face.

“I am crying all the time. I honestly thought I was going to die.”

Jones, 29, of Llancayo Street, Bargoed, pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and possession of cannabis on December 27, 2019.

He also admitted committing offences of possession of heroin with intent to supply and possession of an offensive weapon – a knuckleduster – five months earlier.

Mr Edwards told the court Jones had 14 previous convictions for 29 offences, including possession of cocaine with intent to supply, harassment and burglary.

Ed Mitchard, mitigating, said of the robbery bid: “It only took place 100 yards from his home.

“It is farcical if it wasn’t so serious.”

The court was told that Jones initially told detectives it had all been a “joke” but then admitted he needed money to feed his heroin addiction over Christmas.

Judge Fitton told him: “You completely terrified your victim and she is still traumatised from the event.”

He jailed Jones for a total of eight years for both sets of offences.

The defendant was also made the subject of a 15-year restraining order not to contact Ms Smith and must pay a victim surcharge upon his release from custody.