Armed petrol station robber jailed for six years

A man who robbed two North Yorkshire petrol stations at knifepoint has been jailed for six years.

Roy Holmes, 58, of Parkside Road, Bradford, waved a lock knife at staff at filling stations in Knaresborough and Harrogate in 2024 before stealing tobacco and cash.

The first robbery was at Asda Express on Wetherby Road, Knaresborough, in June, followed by Esso Woodlands on Wetherby Road, Harrogate, a few weeks later.

Holmes, who was also linked to a robbery at a Co-op store in Cullingworth, West Yorkshire, admitted three counts of robbery and was jailed at York Crown Court.

Police had appealed to the public for information after he was pictured on CCTV at the first robbery in Knaresborough, where he told staff to lie on the floor.

At the robbery in Harrogate, Holmes put fuel in a car displaying false number plates before threatening staff with a knife and filling a bag with cigarettes.

The car was stopped by North Yorkshire Police officers who had traced it to the outskirts of Bradford, with the stolen items found inside.

He was later linked to the robbery in Cullingworth, near Keighley, in September.

Police investigator David Carter said Holmes "showed no accountability and no remorse to his victims".

"While crimes like this are thankfully rare in North Yorkshire, they are very frightening for victims so I'm glad justice has been served and Holmes is behind bars," he said.

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