A DULVERTON man who robbed a West Somerset Cooperative Store with a plastic knife cried in the dock as he was spared jail.

Michael Bright, 26, was charged with armed robbery after he entered the Co-op store on Fore Street, Dulverton, at around 10.30pm on July 8 and threatened staff with a knife while demanding money from the till.

At a hearing at Taunton Crown Court on Wednesday (November 21) prosecuting Emma Martin told the court Bright had a 'strange exchange' with staff at the Co-op during the robbery and offered to give them information so police could find him.

"He asked the cashier if she knew him and would like his address and she replied saying no," Mrs Martin said.

"He took cigarettes and notes and coins from the till and then left."

The court heard shop workers were 'frightened' when they saw Bright holding a knife and they did not know the weapon was made of plastic.

Mrs Martin said Bright had been banned from the shop 12 months prior to the offence and staff had not seen him for a long time.

"The ladies in the shop regarded it (the knife) as a weapon," Mrs Martin said.

"A shop worker, Rachel White, said she felt she may have intervened in a different way if she had not seen the knife.

"When he was arrested the money and the cigarettes were in his jacket pocket as well as the plastic knife."

Defending Harry Ahuja, said Bright has struggled with mental health issues including personality disorder, anxiety and depression for a number of years and has completed a variety of courses in since he has been in custody in a bid to tackle his mental health and alcohol problems.

"He committed this offence due to topping up his medication with alcohol," Mr Ahuja said.

"He saw professionals at Minehead Community Hospital on a weekly basis but they changed his support and appointments down to monthly appointments.

"He feels this led to him topping up with alcohol."

Mr Ahuja said Bright was 'apologetic' and 'spoke calmly' during the robbery but did not seem drunk and urged Judge David Ticehurst to give Bright a suspended prison sentence so he can be helped in the community.

When sentencing Bright, Judge Ticehurst said: "What on earth possessed you to behave that way is beyond me and probably beyond you.

"What is particularly bizarre is that you apologised throughout the incident and asked if shopworkers wanted your address and it is clear that when you were visited by police you had the items that had been stolen.

"It is almost as if you wanted to be caught.

"You are someone who has been suffering from considerable mental health difficulties for a period of time and it seems you were not taking medication at the time you committed this offence.

"You have got to sort yourself out and accept the help that is available to you.

"You have enough problems going on in you life."

Judge Ticehurst sentenced bright to two years in prison suspended for two years.

He was given a restraining order which means he cannot go within 100 yards of Dulverton Co-op and ordered to pay £177 to Dulverton Co-op and a £140 victim surcharge within 28 days.