Knife-wielding thief who attacked bookies while on bail is jailed

A man who repeatedly attacked an employee at a bookmakers while already out on bail for robbing a newsagents at knifepoint has been jailed for more than seven years.

Robert Hall, 37, of Wellington Street in Cheltenham, threatened staff with a knife at a newsagent on Bath Road in the town last September before stealing £281 in cash and cigarettes.

Several weeks later, after being released on bail, he attacked a member of staff at Paddy Power on the High Street and stole £500 from the till.

After pleading guilty to one count of possession of a bladed article and two counts of robbery, Hall was sentenced to seven years and nine months at Gloucester Crown Court on Tuesday.

CCTV footage from 25 September showed Hall in the newsagents brandishing a knife and threatening staff before stealing cash from the till.

The following day, Gloucestershire Police said, he was identified, arrested and charged but later released on bail by a magistrate.

A month later, on 11 October, Hall was caught on CCTV dragging a member of staff around behind the counter of a betting shop and punching them repeatedly in the face and head.

In a victim impact statement, the staff member from the bookmakers, said following the attack he was "scared" of working by himself.

"Mentally this has taken a huge toll on me, and I had to get in touch with a counsellor as I have been reliving the attack over and over," he said,

"I do not want this attack to change my life completely however I do not know whether I will be able to get through it if I do return to work, I no longer feel safe."

In mitigation, Hall's lawyer said he had suffered with mental health disorders following childhood trauma and had begun using drugs at a very young age.

He said a drug debt had also influenced his client's behaviour.

During sentencing, Hall admitted to three additional offences - including a robbery at a supermarket in August 2025 - which were taken into consideration.

He was ordered to pay a £228 victims surcharge and must serve up to half of his sentence before being considered for release on license.

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