A MASKED knifeman who stabbed a shop worker in a violent attempted robbery has been jailed for four years and 10 months.

Benjamin Thabo Carruthers entered Wallisdown News in Wallisdown Road, Bournemouth and pulled a balaclava down over his face on Friday November 29 last year.

He produced a knife and pointed it at the shop worker, before demanding money.

The victim took a box of paper that was nearby and hit Carruthers’ hands with it in an attempt to knock the knife out of his hand.

Carruthers grabbed the victim around the neck and lunged toward him with the knife.

Bournemouth Crown Court was told that during the struggle the victim managed to knock the knife out of Carruthers’ hand and grabbed his balaclava and jumper. Carruthers left the shop empty-handed.

During the incident, the victim suffered a stab wound to his hand.

Carruthers, 40, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court on Tuesday November 24. He pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to offences of attempted robbery, assault and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.

Following the incident, forensic testing was carried out on the balaclava and a DNA sample was obtained and found to be a match to Carruthers.

When Carruthers was arrested in connection with the offence, a mobile phone that was seized from his address revealed that it was in use within a mile of Wallisdown News 23 minutes before the robbery.

Carruthers was also sentenced in relation to an offence of assault by beating that occurred on Saturday January 11 in St John’s Road in Boscombe and controlling and coercive behaviour that occurred in February 2018.

Detective Constable Ben Swain, of Bournemouth CID, said: "It must have been extremely frightening for the victim to be faced with a masked offender who was armed with a knife and I would like to praise him for the bravery he demonstrated.

"I am pleased that through our investigation we were able to identify Carruthers as the offender and bring him before the court to face justice for his actions.

"I hope this case demonstrates that we do not tolerate offences of this nature in our county."