A MAN who staged a terrifying sub post office robbery in a bid to pay off drug debts has been jailed for six years.

A victim thought she was facing a sawn-off shotgun when Lee Garvin shoved a pair of shears under a counter screen to demand "Give me the money."

He forced sub postmistress Elizabeth Skupski to place notes in a carrier bag. Garvin was arrested two days after the raid on the premises in Church Lane, Mellor.

Preston Crown Court was told that he told officers: "I'm glad you caught me. I was gonna top myself tonight."

Garvin, 30, of Heys Lane, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to the robbery, which occurred on September 25. He had taken £1,180.

Mr Richard Haworth, prosecuting, said Mrs Skupski was scared out of her wits. She dived on to the floor. There was a banging on the glass screen above her and she heard the glass smash." Mrs Skupski, fearing the robber would come over the counter, decided the best thing to do would be to take out £20 notes.

The robbery was witnessed by assistant Margaret Young, who dialled 999. She feared the man might shoot her.

Garvin made his getaway in a blue Vauxhall, watched by members of the public, and the registration number was memorised. Two days later he was arrested at the Railway pub.

Defence barrister Mr Tony Cross said Garvin had done all he could to mitigate the harm caused. The motivation for the offence was the defendant owing drug dealers money for crack cocaine.

He had told police of having left suicide notes, one for his best friend and the other for his mother. They expressed remorse.

Mr Cross said the robbery "was conceived in madness".

"He was not wearing gloves. His fingerprints were all over the post office."

He added that Garvin had worked and managed to stay drug-free for a considerable time. He stayed clear of offending for a while, but lapsed back into his old ways.

Garvin, who was given three years in 1995 for robbery, was told by Recorder Christopher Alldiss: "The terror your actions must have induced can only be imagined." To protect post offices, the sentence needed to be a deterrent to others. REMORSE: Lee Garvin