A HAMMER-CARRYING would be robber was met with defiant response when he demanded money at a village post office, a court heard.

Andrew Gray entered the premises, in Ushaw Moor, wearing gloves, with a hood up and a scarf covering much of his face, on the afternoon of December 5.

Durham Crown Court was told that carrying the hammer, he approached the counter and said to the owner: “Give me your money”.

He repeated his demand, but was told he was getting nothing, and the owner activated the store security alert.

Gray turned and left-empty-handed, but after in-store cctv was viewed, police iodentified him and he was located at an address in the village later that afternoon.

Sam Faulks, prosecuting, said officers believed Gray to be intoxicated on arrest and, as he claimed to have taken an overdose, he was taken to hospital.

While in a waiting area with an officer he repeatedly kept getting up and going to the door, looking down the corridor, despite being told to remain seated and so he was eventually peppers-prayed to restrain him.

Mr Faulks said Gray’s presence in Ushaw Moor that afternoon was in breach of the variation of a restraining order made earlier that day by magistrates after he twice flouted a previous order not to contact his former partner, who lives in the village, days earlier.

Despite being shown the store footage, he denied responsibility for the attempted robbery and claimed that at the hospital he merely wanted to go outside for a smoke.

But, appearing at a plea hearing, last week, Gray, 34, of Grasmere Road, Ferryhill, admitted attempted robbery, breaching the restraining order and attempting to escape lawful custody.

Martin Scarborough, in mitigation, said having been told there was “no chance” of being given any money, Gray just walked away from the post office, so it was not a prolonged ordeal which the owner was put through.

Passing a prison sentence of three years and nine months, Judge Jonathan Carroll described the owner as, “remarkably robust” in his response to Gray.

“That man just genuinely wants to go about his business in peace, without anyone coming into the shop, like this, demanding money.”