Robber stole cash and tobacco at Tredegar petrol station
There was a lone woman working in the service station, and the men grabbed her and told her to open the till.
The men took £200 in cash, and Watts emptied packets of tobacco and cigarettes into a bag.
The men hit Nantybwch Service Station in Tredegar. (Image: Google Street View)
The pair warned the woman not to call the police, and the other man then grabbed a bottle of brandy as they fled.
She phoned the police, and CCTV footage of the incident was provided.
Police searched an address in Tredegar on January 1, 2024, in relation to an unrelated matter. Whilst at the address, they recognised a pair of grey Armani tracksuit bottoms.
Forensic checks revealed Watts' fingerprints on a tobacco pack which had been dropped during the robbery.
The defendant, who has five previous convictions for 12 offences, pleaded guilty to robbery.
In a statement read out in court, the woman said she was left feeling 'particularly nervous' when working by herself late at night after the robbery, and she was concerned that the other man had not been identified yet.
Liam Watts robbed a petrol station with another man. (Image: Gwent Police)
Kevin Seal, appearing for Watts, said the defendant was 'sorry' and 'embarrassed' about his offending, and was so intoxicated during the robbery that he didn't realise the member of staff was somebody he knew.
He said Watts developed a drug addiction and issues with alcohol after receiving a large amount of money and spending it all in a short period of time 'mixing with others and taking cocaine'.
'That's probably the worst thing that ever happens to him,' said Mr Seal.
'He then went on effectively a spree of offending.'
Mr Seal said Watts was 'grateful' that he was now in custody, and that this gave him a chance to address his substance issues.
'It has put the brakes on a one way path,' he said.
Addressing the defendant, Judge Carl Harrison said: 'This was a lone female working at night at 8.45pm in December. It was dark outside.
'Your offending has had a long-lasting effect on her.'
Watts was jailed for two years and three months, and the woman was granted a five-year restraining order against him.
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