A BRAVE cashier has told how she fought desperately with two masked raiders before being given an electric shock from a cattle prod.

Filling station worker Priya Karthi can be seen on CCTV footage trying to pull the makeshift face-covering off one of the robbers.

She is then punched twice in the face and thrown to the floor before the pair flee with thousands of pounds, cigarettes and scratch cards.

One of the men – convicted killer Stephen Small – was jailed for six years and nine months after “extremely good police work” linked him to the raid.

The 49-year-old’s accomplice is still at large, and Cleveland Police have now issued an appeal for help in bringing him to justice as well.

Small was one of two men jailed for ten years in 2002 for his part in the death of homeless Stockton man Robert “Swampy” Parkin.

Miss Karthi did not think twice about tackling the towering killer, and said: “I tried to protect myself and stop them taking the store’s items.”

She needed hospital treatment after suffering a fractured finger, bruising and swelling to the left side of her face, cuts, and bruising and pain to her left forearm.

The worker added: “It was very frightening to be alone and have two masked men come into the store with a stun gun. I have never in my life been so scared.

“I tried my best to stop them taking stock, but I could not. I think this will stay with me for a long time.

“It is not acceptable for this type of behaviour, using violence on other people to steal.”

As he jailed Small, Judge Howard Crowson said he wanted to publicly thank and commend Miss Karthi’s actions, saying: “She acted with astonishing bravery.”

He told the 6ft 2ins robber: “There was a significant struggle we have watched on CCTV. When she put up brave resistance, she was met with violence.

“It is a small area behind the till. She was, of course, terrified. She bravely tried to pull your mask away so your face would be revealed on the cameras.

“What then took place was he [the second raider] punched her twice and wrestled and struggled with her so you could continue to steal the money.

“During the struggle, her hand was caught on a cattle prod, akin to a stun gun.”

The pair fled on March 25 with £7,200 about ten packets of cigarettes and ten scratch cards, prosecutor Rebecca Brown told Teesside Crown Court.

Three days later, bushes close to the Jet filling station on Norton Road, Norton, near Stockton, were searched and vital evidence was found.

A white cloth with eye and mouth holes cut in, a pair of black gloves and the cattle prod were discovered, all of which had Small’s DNA on.

He was caught a fortnight later, and told police: “Oh, that’s okay, being arrested for something I haven’t done.”

Paul Currer, mitigating, said: “He is extremely sorry for the misery he has caused to the poor woman involved in this case.”

Mr Currer said Small worked as an asbestos stripper after being released from his manslaughter sentence, and was “legitimate and worthwhile”.

But after being injured in a car crash, he was introduced to heroin as a pain-reliever and his habit “spiralled very quickly” and he ended up spending £30,000 on the drug.

“He was confronted with the opportunity to make some money to buy more drugs,” said Mr Currer. “He was driven by greed and lust.

“Prison has undoubtedly helped him, and without very much assistance has completely weened himself off heroin. He is determined to make the best of things.”

After the case, police released a still image from the CCTV footage of a man they want to speak to in connection with the robbery, and asked for help from the public.

He is described as white, around 5ft 6ins tall, with a grey, short stubbly beard and of stocky build.

Detective Constable Rachael Johnson said: “I am pleased that a man has been sentenced in connection with this incident, which was terrifying for the victim.

“She showed amazing courage, and I hope that the sentencing goes some way towards helping her move on from what happened.

“There is another man that police want to speak to in connection with this incident, and we are releasing an image of him in a bid to identify him.”

  • Anyone who knows the identity of the man in the image is asked to contact Det Con Johnson, from Stockton CID, on the non-emergency number 101, quoting event number 052461.