South Yorkshire Times September 26, 1959
Showed Woman Gun
Denaby Man Said He Planned to Rob Shopkeeper
When the police interviewed a Denaby man, who had told a woman that he intended robbing a shopkeeper using a starter pistol to frighten him, he made a statement in which he stated, “I don’t know what made me do it but I’ve seen a lot of gangster films and what they do and I thought I’d have a go as well.”
Doncaster West, Riding Magistrates were told this on Tuesday by Inspector G.B.Edmondson when Leonard Pritchard (20) and unemployed labourer of Annerley Street, Denaby, was jailed for a total six months and bound over for a year. Pritchard pleaded guilty to 3 offences – being armed with an offensive weapon, with intent to commit a felony, possessing an offensive weapon and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace. The gun was confiscated
Passing sentence the Chairman (Mr. A. Atherton) told Pritchard, “It’s a very bad crime. We’re not having this sort of thing in our district. We’re going to nip it straight in the bud.”
Inspector Edmondson said that a Mr. Dunkley who has a lock-up grocers shop in the Market Place at Denaby was serving a Mrs. Dodds, about 4 p.m. on July 29th, when he noticed Pritchard standing in the doorway looking about the shop Asked what he wanted Pritchard remained there and later asked Mr. Dunkley it he stocked a certain brand of cigarettes.
Asked About Till
Mr. Dunkley said he stocked the cigarettes and Pritchard said he would return later. He walked away but came back when Mrs. Dodds left the shop and walked with her. He asked her how much money Mr. Dunkley had in the till and if she thought he was worth robbing.
Then, said the Inspector, Pritchard pulled the gun out of his pocket and said, ” I will frighten him with this and get some money from him.” Mrs. Dodds then walked away and informed the police.
P.c. Davies said Pritchard made a statement in which he said he had been drinking that afternoon in a public house at Mexborough and then returned home. The statement continued, ” I thought I’d go for a walk so I got my gun out of a drawer.” In the statement Pritchard said he thought he would see how much money Mr. Dunkley had.
Inspector Edmondson added, “Mrs. Dodds says he was quite serious about it.”
In court. Pritchard said although he originally intended to rob Mr. Dunkley he later changed his mind. Askod why he was out of a job Pritchard said he had been out of work for 10 weeks He said he left his last job because he did not like the work and the boss kept picking on him.