A ROBBER from Winsford who terrorised a taxi driver at knifepoint has been jailed.

Angela Hughes, of Pentland Close, pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing a knife in a public place.

The 41-year-old was jailed for four-and-a-half years at Chester Crown Court.

The charges relate to an incident in Winsford in the early hours of Thursday, November 29.

Shortly after 2am Hughes got into a taxi at a car park on Dene Drive.

Once the taxi driver, a 36-year-old man from Manchester, had driven to Crook Lane Hughes threatened him with a knife and demanded his takings.

She stole his wallet, mobile phone and car keys as well as a small quantity of cash.

The robbery was witnessed by a member of the public who reported it to the police.

Officers attended and found Hughes nearby in possession of the stolen items and money.

Hughes was sentenced on December 21.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Claire Heatley said: “Hughes subjected the taxi driver to a terrifying ordeal, threatening him with a knife and demanding cash soon after he had taken the ill-fated fare.

“She stole his phone and his car keys but thankfully the incident was witnessed by a member of the public. They called the police and officers were able to locate and arrest Hughes a short distance away.

“Motivated by a desire for money, she was only able to steal a small amount of cash from the taxi driver. It has cost her dearly as she has now been jailed for four-and-a-half years for the robbery.

“I am delighted that Hughes has received a substantial custodial sentence and I hope that this brings some closure to the victim.

“I also hope that the sentence serves as a deterrent to other people and stops them from committing similar crimes, and that it sends out a strong message that knife crime will not be tolerated.

“At Cheshire Constabulary we are committed to doing all we can to tackle knife crime.

“We will respond robustly to any knife related incidents and ensure that anyone found to be carrying a knife or committing a knife related offence is brought to justice.

“But the police cannot beat knife crime without the help of the rest of the community and we urge anyone with information about people who may be carrying knives to come forward and speak to us or Crimestoppers.”

Anyone who knows someone that carries a knife can report it to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

To report any type of knife crime call Cheshire police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.