A 37-year-old man was jailed for his part in a terrifying armed robbery which involved a G4S security guard being threatened with a hammer.
John Manville planned the robbery by using a stolen car with a cloned plate a week before the crime to follow the G4S security van.
Then on January 28, 2019, Manville and another man struck at Prescot station.
READ MORE: Children look on in horror as men brawl in Pontins' toilet
Wearing balaclavas and armed with a hammer, they demanded the cash which the victim had picked up minutes before.
The security guard, fearing for his safety, immediately handed it over and the two thugs sped away from the scene.
Information gained from a media appeal immediately identified Manville as one of the robbers and a search of his home uncovered a balaclava.
Manville, of Mardale Road, Huyton, pleaded guilty to armed robbery and theft of a car at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday (July 5) and was sentenced to five years in jail.
British Transport Police DS Gemma Jones said: "This was a complex investigation which, thanks to the work of the team, left Manville with no choice other than to plead guilty.
"This was a truly terrifying ordeal for the victim who was left traumatised by what happened.
"Robbery and violent crime have no place on the railway. The sentence handed down sends a clear message about the consequences of crime."
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
