Southampton man threatened shop staff on Halloween

Baheej Issa demanded employees of Colemans Confectionary hand over their cash or be shot.

The 20-year-old threatened Shamen Arachchige and Sunanda Philippenge before making off with several packets of cigarettes on Halloween night last year.

It later transpired Issa did not have a gun, rather, he had the handle of a kitchen pan in his coat.

During his sentencing at Southampton Crown Court on Monday, the court heard how Mr Arachige and Ms Philippenge now fear for their safety in the workplace.

Debt-laden Baheej Issa from Southampton feigned wielding a gun in a “badly executed” Halloween robbery (Image: Hampshire Constabulary) Prosecuting, Andrew Houston said the defendant entered the Commercial Road store at around 10.30pm and enquired about the price of Malboro Gold cigarettes.

He left the store under the guise of taking cash out of an ATM but returned seven minutes later with a hood up and note in hand.

“The note read ‘I have a gun, do not make me shoot you – hand over all the cash’”, Mr Houston said.

“Ms Philippenge told her husband to phone the police to which the defendant threatened to kill them, while holding what looked like a firearm handle.

“Mr Arachige said they could not give him any money.”

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In response, Issa dashed behind the store counter and grabbed handfuls of cigarette packets before fleeing towards Mayflower Theatre.

Following a media appeal, Issa was identified, and his home was searched by police, who found the offending pan handle.

During his police interview, Issa said he planned to “cover the handle in cobwebs and use it for Halloween”.

But he later admitted he made a ‘clicking’ sound when threatening the two shop workers to imitate a firearm.

Mr Houston added that Issa owed £1,000 to his father at the time of the offence.

In a victim impact statement from Mr Arachige, read out by Mr Houston in court, he described “never facing anything like this in Sri Lanka”.

He added: “I was scared he would shoot my wife.

“Since that incident, I now work at Sainsbury’s during the day and we do not open late.”

Mitigating, Paul Foster said the incident was rightly described as a “badly executed robbery”.

“Mr Issa was homeless and owed his father a considerable amount of money. There is genuine remorse and regret.”

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Issa, of Shakespeare Avenue, Southampton, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery and a charge of possessing an imitation firearm.

Passing sentence, judge Nicholas Rowland described the incident as a “terrifying ordeal”.

“Who knows what it was that possessed you to go into the shop at that time of night.”

He was handed a 38-month prison sentence.