A TEENAGER described as ‘the village idiot of High Legh’ has been jailed after wielding a metal pole during a robbery while wearing a pair of tracksuit bottoms on his head.

Warrington Crown Court heard on Friday, Ryan Atkinson, of Shuldham Close, had boasted to ‘every resident aged 15 to 23’ in High Legh about the robbery before being caught by police.

The 18-year-old, who was born addicted to heroin, demanded cash from two women working at the Costcutter store on Higher Lane, Lymm in June this year.

One of the employees, who said she was physically shaking after the incident, refused to help Atkinson before he grabbed a bag of 20 pound coins and left the shop.

Paulinus Barnes, prosecuting, said: “He told some friends before he was going to do it and got one of them to take a picture of him with his face masked to show what he would look like.”

Atkinson was later arrested in a shed as he was living rough at the time after only recently being released from a four week sentence at a young offenders institute.

After being arrested he also confessed to a number of thefts from cars over the past fortnight including sat navs and a mobile phone in High Legh and on Statham Avenue in Lymm and a hedge and grass trimmer from a garage on Canal Bank, Lymm.

The thief also stole jewellery and an Ipod from his brother’s girlfriend after she said Atkinson could stay in her shared university house.

Atkinson had six previous convictions for 12 offences with the majority being theft.

Chris Hunt, defending, said: “This is the village idiot of High Legh and parts of this case mark him out for idiocy.

“He told some teenage boys he was playing football with in the park he was going to rob the shop.

“The two women stood their ground because they could see this was a joker.

“It’s quite pathetic.”

Judge Ian Trigger said: “You may well be the village idiot but this offence doesn’t have the hallmarks of a village idiot.

“Maybe you didn’t intend to use the pole but neither of those ladies knew that.”

Atkinson was sentenced to three years in a young offenders institute.