On Saturday, February 12, 2022, Jon Pughe stole money from the business’s till in Margate Road after punching a member of staff in the face.
Later that day, he was apprehended and charged with robbery, which he later admitted to.
On Thursday, June 9, the 41-year-old from Clifftown Gardens in Herne Bay was sentenced to six years in prison at Canterbury Crown Court.
Pughe entered the Post Office wearing a balaclava and holding a crowbar around 5.15 p.m. on the day of the offence.
He punched a member of staff in the face with his hand before stealing a large sum of money from the till and fleeing.
Officers responded to the scene and obtained CCTV footage of the robber fleeing in a white Renault van.
Pughe’s vehicle was later linked to it, and patrols in Herne Bay searched for him that evening.
He was apprehended around 11.45 p.m. in the town centre. The van used in the crime was discovered in the Broomfield area.
Officers demonstrated, among other things, that the jeans Pughe was wearing when he was arrested had a tear in the same location as those worn by the robber in CCTV footage from the store.
‘Pughe’s violent actions were terrifying for the victim of this robbery, who was doing her job serving the local community,’ said Detective Chief Inspector Keith Taylor of the East Kent Criminal Investigation Department.
‘I am pleased that the officers’ quick response on the day resulted in his arrest just hours after the crime, and our thorough investigation left him with no choice but to admit this offence.’
