A MAN who kept watch at the door of a shop during an unsuccessful armed robbery attempt has been jailed for three years.

Darren William Price accompanied prolific offender Shaun McKerry - once dubbed Homing Pigeon Boy - to Shildon Post Office and Stores, on the evening of March 15.

Durham Crown Court heard that as McKerry went into the premises, armed with an axe, Price waited at the door, keeping it open to enable his co-accused to make a swift getaway.

McKerry, who was wearing a scarf and hat, while brandishing the axe, ordered a female assistant to fill a bag with money from the till.

But the planned robbery was hindered when shop owner Sab Dhillon ran from the back of the premises to tackle McKerry.

Helped by his wife and the assistant they were able to detain the would-be robber and alert police.

Thirty-one-year-old McKerry, of Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, who has a long history of previous convictions, subsequently admitted attempted robbery and was jailed for a total of six years, at the court in April.

Price, who fled when he saw McKerry being overpowered, was at large for some time and was only arrested much later.

He initially denied attempted robbery, on the basis was unaware McKerry had the axe and was planning to stage a robbery, as he claimed he believed he was merely going into the store to steal items.

Price, 34, did, however, initially admit accompanying McKerry in the theft of £800-worth of sports coats from the Factory Shop, in Shildon, on the same day as the Post Office raid.

Appearing back at the court for a plea hearing, Price, of Hartley Avenue, Leeholme, near Coundon, also admitted attempted robbery, negating the need for a trial, which was scheduled to take place in mid-December.

Chris Baker, mitigating, said Price has been out of trouble for about a decade, other than for a single shop theft.

“He was a secondary party in the attempted robbery as he was standing by the door and fled when the struggle ensued, breaking away from the enterprise.

“He hadn’t forecast the level of violence that would take place.”

Judge Christopher Prince said, as the co-accused, with a much worse record, was jailed for six years, the appropriate sentence, given the aggravating and mitigating features in Price’s case, was one of four years, less 12 months ‘credit’ for his ‘guilty’ pleas.