A suicidal father-of-four who robbed a McDonald’s armed with a foot long knife offered to hurt his victim so she could claim compensation.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how on December 12, Peter Cunningham had intended to take his own life, but changed his mind at the last minute.
Instead, the 38-year-old, who had been drinking, went to Edge Lane McDonald's armed with a knife and demanded money from a safe.
And after that told the petrified manager that she could make a claim for damages - and even offered to hit her so she could claim even more money.
Prosecuting Philip Hall told Liverpool Crown Court how Cunningham, who was wearing work clothes, went into the McDonald’s and told the manager Lauren Grannell that he was there to “look at the crew toilets.”
He said: "She took him to the toilets and after inspecting them he asked her if she knew what it was and said ‘it’s a hold up’ and produced a silver knife, a foot long, from his pocket.
“He told her he did not want to use it but implied the would if he needed to.”
The court heard how she took him to the safe and he said he believed there was £30,000 in it but she told him there wasn’t and instead gave him the £1,275 contents which he wrapped in an employee’s fleece.
He demanded she open the other safe but she could not do so as only a security guard could open it.
However it was then that Cunningham told her she could make a damages claim - and even offered to hit her to inflate her claim - but she declined his offer.
When arrested on February 13 he gave a ‘no comment’ interview.
Defending Cunningham Brendan Carville said: “He found himself with Christmas approaching, with heavy debts, four young children and his brother had died.
"He felt there was no hope for him and he intended to commit suicide."
In an impact statement the victim described how she has been psychologically traumatised by the terrifying incident.
She needed medication for anxiety and was unable to return to work for some time after her first attempt to go back five days after the raid only lasted an hour as she was too upset.
She said she now finds to hard to trust people and that robbers do not realise how their actions can have such an impact on victims.
Jailing Cunningham for five years today, Judge Stuart Driver, QC, said: “your victim was threatened with a knife which left her absolutely terrified.”
Cunningham, of Wycliffe Road, Anfield, pleaded guilty to robbery and possessing an offensive weapon.
The court heard how he also had a previous conviction for robbing the Living Room bar armed with a Samurai sword and had "hatched this plan to go in and do exactly what he had done previously."
Judge Driver told Cunningham, who appeared via video link from prison, it was clear he was “in a very frail mental state at the time due to family problems including a bereavement.
"You were suicidal and family members were of the opinion that you underwent a breakdown.”
