Local man jailed after Hyde Park Sainsbury’s robbery

He was armed with a knife


A local man has been sentenced to prison after threatening Sainsbury’s shop assistant with knife and intimidating woman before stealing her mobile phone.

31-year-old Kyle Rainey was jailed for three years and eight months after pleading guilty to robbery, theft, and possession of a bladed article.

Leeds Crown Court heard how Rainey had been drinking heavily in the early hours of May 17th when the incident occurred at the Sainsbury’s store on Brudenell Road, Hyde Park.

Prosecutor Paul Nichols told the court how Rainey approached a customer, and took a bottle of wine from her shopping basket.

The woman grabbed the bottle back, unaware he was carrying a knife.

He then approached the cigarette kiosk where he stared at a shop assistant.

Police say the woman was terrified in case the intruder jumped the barrier armed with his weapon.

After stealing a bottle of wine, Rainey went outside the store intimidating another woman just moments later, and stole her phone.

His lawyer said the 31-year-old was recovering from a drug addiction and was also struggling with an alcohol addiction at the time of the incident.

He said his client had accepted having the weapon on him but could not remember using it at the time of the offences.

Judge Christopher Batty said: “You took a knife in the dead of night into this supermarket and it must have been terrifying for these women.”