A MAN who robbed a B&Q staff member in Wrexham by beating him up with a hammer has been jailed for five years.
Lee Michael Roberts, 26, was said to be so drunk he could remember nothing about it.
Mold Crown Court heard about the shoplifting attempt.
Roberts was spotted pushing a trolley containing power tools out of a rear delivery yard.
He pushed the trolley within yards of Andrew Davies, who had worked at the store for 23 years, and produced the hammer, saying: “Do one, or you are going to get it.” Mr Davies told him to leave it and go.
Roberts held the hammer above his head, Mr Davies grabbed hold, wrestled it from his grip and told him to go.
Mr Davies started to push the trolley back into the store but when his back was turned he felt a sharp push to his back which caused him to drop the hammer.
Mr Davies feared an attack and pulled his jacket over his head just as he felt a blow to his head.
He fell to his knees where he suffered a second blow which sent to him to the floor.
There were two more blows to the head before Roberts ran from the store.
The alarm was raised, he was taken to hospital, and suffered a wound to the head, a cut to the ear, his eye was bloodshot and his vision blurred.
His right hand was swollen to three times the size of his other.
Prosecutor Dafydd Roberts told how the victim had excruciating headaches.
The attack was on April 17 but Roberts was not arrested until August. By then, the victim had returned to work and spotted Roberts again stealing power tools.
Police arrested him nearby. He was identified as the attacker.
Roberts admitted robbery and breaching his ASBO, but was given credit for his guilty plea.
If he had been convicted after trial then he would have received seven-and-a-half years, the judge said.
