A HOODED robber, who brought terror to a Colne shop, produced a syringe, made a stabbing motion towards the manager and told her he had AIDS, a court was told.

Jobless drunk Scott Allen, 26, escaped with a box of lager after targeting the McColl’s convenience store, in Glenroy Avenue, Colne, on October 17.

But a second box was taken off him by plucky victim Clare Taylor, even though she was scared she was going to be stabbed.

Allen, of Poplar Street, Nelson, has almost 70 offences on his record and is said to have an alcohol problem. He has now been jailed for 32 months, after admitting robbery, at Burnley Crown Court.

Michael Wallbank, prosecuting, said at about 5pm, Ms Taylor, the shop manager, and assistant Rebecca Lee-Cooper were in the store. Allen entered, unsteady on his feet and went to the beer aisle.

He dropped some cans of lager and Ms Lee-Cooper went to help him. Allen told her: “I have got something for you.”

He reached for the inside of his jacket, but realised there was no pocket. The manager told Allen to leave.

He picked up two boxes of lager, told Ms Taylor: “I have got something for you,” and produced a needle from his tracksuit bottoms.

He then used it in a stabbing motion towards her and said: “I have got AIDS”.

Allen then walked towards the exit carrying the lager and, as he got to the door, Ms Taylor was able to take one box off him.

He again used the needle in a stabbing motion towards her. Police were called and Allen went off down North Street.

He was arrested a short time later in Glen Street and, when interviewed, said he couldn’t remember the incident.

Mr Wallbank said both victims were petrified, and feared for their safety. Ms Taylor thought she would be stabbed.

The hearing was told Allen had 66 convictions, from between 2001 and 2012, but none for robbery and had never been to prison before.

Richard Taylor, for Allen, said while there had been a weapon, no injuries were caused.

Judge Jonathan Gibson said it had been a ‘shocking and dreadful’ thing to use a syringe as a weapon to threaten.

He said: “I accept what you say in your letter that you don’t have AIDS, but the employees in the shop didn’t know that and this must have been very frightening for them.”