A ROBBER left fingerprints behind when he smashed his way out of a petrol station shop.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard how Callum Duffy had entered the Mercury Service Station at Manchester Road, Westhoughton, in the early hours of May 15, last year, laid a large knife on the counter and told assistant Unaydullah Master, "Hi man, give me £100".

Verity Quaite, prosecuting, told the court: "Mr Master jumped back and picked up a stool from behind the counter, telling the defendant to go away or he would throw the stool at him."

But instead of fleeing, Duffy walked around the counter and said he wanted cash, demanding more when Mr Master handed him £70.

The assistant gave 20-year-old Duffy another £50 but when the robber turned to leave, Mr Master activated the door lock and then locked himself in the back office and called police.

"When police arrived the defendant had smashed through the door to exit and could be seen on CCTV trying to prise those doors open," said Miss Quaite.

He was caught after his fingerprints were found on the door.

Duffy, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing a knife as well as a further street robbery, committed with accomplice John Hasan, aged 20, of Redbrook Road, Timperley, on December 1 last year in Altrincham.

Both men have previous convictions for serious offences.

Michael Brady, defending Duffy, said; "At that time he was a young man intent on self destruction. He seemed to regard being sent to the Young Offender Institution as a badge of honour.

"It may be the penny has finally dropped with this young man that if he carries on like this he's going to spend the rest of his life in various institutions."

Judge Paul Lawton sentenced Duffy to five years in a Young Offender Institution and Hasan to three years and four months.

He told them: "The use of knives, as two will be well aware, has become endemic in Manchester and beyond.

"There's nothing cool about carrying a knife. A knife is as dangerous as a gun.

"A stab to the body anywhere that cuts a main artery and death is almost assured. So these courts are going to clamp down people committing robberies with knives and that message needs to go out."