A TEENAGER from Southampton has been sentenced after he stole items from a shop and threatened staff with a knife in Farnham.

Officers attended the Halfords store on Guildford Road, on Wednesday, March 28 after receiving reports of a man pulling a knife out on staff at the store at approximately 1.30pm.

Patrick Finley, 18, of Monks Way, Southampton entered the store and selected numerous items that he went on to take from the store.

A staff member approached Finley and asked him where the goods were that he had previously seen Finley pick up, as he went to exit the store.

Finley advised the staff member that he had left them elsewhere in the store, however, when he went to leave the alarms sounded.

The store manager, and another staff member followed Finley out the store, as he ran away.

The staff members managed to detain him in Guildford Road, and asked Finley to return to the store with the items but he refused. Finley stood up, and put his hand inside his jacket and spun round to the staff members with a knife in his hand.

At approximately 1.45pm, while officers were searching for Finley, they received a call to a second incident as Finley had approached a nursing home on Hatch Mill, where he told a staff member he had been attacked by ten people, and asked the staff for money as his had been stolen.

When Finley was in the nursing home, a crowbar fell from his trouser leg so he was asked to leave.

Officers were searching the area for Finley, where he was then seen running in the second lane of the A31, he was then arrested for robbery.

Officers searched Finley, and found him to be in possession of a bladed article, as well as items that were believed to be taken from the store earlier that day.

PC Charles Jones from the Area Policing Team, who investigated the case said: “The staff members were very brave and decided to follow Finley. When Finley took a knife from his jacket, they were obviously very scared for their safety and did the right thing by backing away.

“Although the staff members were brave, I would strongly urge anyone who is in this situation to think about their own safety first. If you are a business owner and would like advice on how to protect your premises, please visit our website for more information. You can also contact your local crime reduction advisor by calling 101.”

Finley was sentenced to six months detention in a young offender institution after he pleaded guilty at Guildford Crown Court on Friday, May 18.