A 19-year-old has been sentenced to three years and four months in a Young Offender Institution after robbing a store in Eastbourne on May 26.
Police said Zack Staniford entered the Co-op store in Meads Street armed with a hammer, at around 9.20pm.
He smashed the plastic screens put in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic, before going behind the till and demanding cash.
He got away with £385, according to officers.
On Friday 29 May, Staniford was spotted on Eastbourne seafront by a police officer who identified him as the suspect due to two distinctive tattoos on the top of his hands.
Officers said he was arrested, and was found to be in possession of a knife.
He was charged with robbery and possession of a bladed article in a public place.
Staniford, 19, a labourer, of Cavendish Place, Eastbourne, pleaded guilty when he appeared at Hove Crown Court on Monday (29).
At the same court on Tuesday (30), he was sentenced to 36 months in a Young Offender Institution for the robbery and four months for possession of a bladed article, to run consecutively.
DC Elliott Lander said:
"This was a terrifying ordeal for the staff members working in the shop at the time, who were unhurt but understandably very shaken by what happened.
"Thanks to clear CCTV footage, witness reports and the vigilance of an officer on patrol, we were able to apprehend Staniford and secure a guilty plea in court."
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