A MAN who robbed a Forest shopkeeper at knifepoint has been jailed for five years.

Eksteen De Villiers, 27, of no fixed address, was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.

He had been charged with one count each of robbery and possessing a bladed item in a public place.

Wearing a balaclava, De Villiers entered the shop in Lydney on Sunday, October 26 last year with a large knife and demanded money from the till.

CCTV showed him lunging towards the shopkeeper, who used his walking stick in an attempt to fight off the attack.

De Villiers repeated his demand, no money was handed over but he grabbed two bottles of spirits as he left the shop.

CCTV footage showed De Villiers with the balaclava off before entering the shop.

He was arrested and officers were able to seize the knife and the two bottles of alcohol.

Clothing matching the description being worn by De Villiers was also found by a police dog handler in a wooded area near to the shop.

De Villiers was handed a five-year prison sentence when he appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on December 9.

He was also given a 10-year restraining order preventing him from entering the area.

In a Victim Personal Statement (VPS) that was read to the court, the victim talked of the ongoing impact the incident had on him.

He said: “When I am in the shop on my own, I suffer quite badly from panic attacks. I can’t have my back to the door in the shop, it makes me feel uneasy. When someone comes into the shop and I don’t know who they are, I get on edge and I don’t like being in this situation.

“For the first three nights after the incident, I didn’t sleep at all; every time I closed my eyes I had flashbacks.

“I was having nightmares for about two weeks after the incident. I see the incident on replay in my nightmares – the knife stands out the most as it was large and it came so close to stabbing me.

“I truly thought I was going to die that day. When I first saw the knife, I saw images of me being stabbed with it. I had no choice but to fight him off; it was really difficult and I fought him with everything I had. I feel that I am lucky to be alive.”

Sergeant Nick Wheeler, from the Forest neighbourhood policing team said: “This was a nasty robbery that has left both the victim and those living in this community feeling incredibly vulnerable.

“De Villiers acted in a vicious and frightening manner. This sentence reflects the seriousness with which this attack has been taken by us and the court.

.“I hope that De Villiers will use this time to reflect on his life choices, while it gives respite to those who have endured his actions.”

To see CCTV from the incident visit www.theforester.co.uk