Knife wielder praises woman he attempted to rob

Friday 06 September 2019

A 35-year-old, who pulled a knife on a pharmacy worker and demanded drugs, praised the woman for her courage and thanked her for saving his life as he was sentenced to four years in prison.

Renton Harold Cox appeared in the Royal Court this morning, facing one charge of attempted robbery, as well as two counts of having an offensive weapon in a public place and one of possession of a controlled drug.

Defending, Advocate Sarah Dale told Court that Cox was very remorseful and had recognised “he selfishly put his own feelings, no matter how desperate, before anyone else’s.”

She also said Cox would always be grateful to the pharmacy worker “as her courage in acknowledging his identity has saved his life.” 

Earlier in the hearing, Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit had told Court that Cox attempted to rob Reid’s Pharmacy at the Lido Medical Centre in St. Saviour in the morning of 27 April. At the time, there were four employees and five customers in the store.

Pictured: Cox attempted to rob Reid’s Pharmacy at the Lido Medical Centre in St. Saviour.

Cox was wearing a dark hoodie pulled up over his head and had a scarf covering his nose and mouth. He ran into the shop, straight behind the counter, an area only accessible to staff, where he was confronted by one of the employees. 

He then opened up the front of his hoodie, revealing a workman’s knife of between five and six inches with a red blade, without saying a word.

While pointing the knife at her, he told the pharmacy worker he didn’t “want any trouble” and asked for benzodiazepines. The woman recognised him and said: “Renton, you don’t want to be doing this, you have two young children.” He said he was not Renton Cox and asked for “fentanyl, lovazepam, bendodiazipines [sic].”

The woman told him to think about what he was doing, and Cox said he would leave if she promised not to call the police. He then ran outside using the back door of the store. 

The woman was left “shaking, stuttering and mumbling” after the incident and told police officers she “honestly thought he could potentially stab me if he needed to.” 

Pictured: Cox had been arrested whilst carrying a knife on 25 April.

Cox was arrested two days later after he was seen at Little Grove clinic in Bel Royal. When officers searched him, he admitted having five 10mg vallium tablets in his pocket.

In the days leading to the robbery, Cox had been seen loitering around Le Quesne’s Chemist and had been arrested in possession of a 10 to 12-inch knife near Indigo House Pharmacy.

Cox told officers he kept the knife because he had received threats and was worried about his own safety. 

The Crown Advocate suggested a four-year prison sentence and asked the Court to make a restraining order preventing Cox from contacting the pharmacy worker.

Defending, Advocate Sarah Dale, said Cox wished to send out an apology to the woman with the help of the Probation Service. She said he wanted “to do everything he can to make her feel safer and explain his actions.”

Advocate Dale described the incident as out of character for Cox, pointing out the fact he had never been convicted for violent offences before. 

Pictured: Advocate Dale told Court there is currently no support available to drug users in prison.

She told Court Cox didn’t feel he was in his right mind on the day and had made a snap decision. She explained that Cox had been experiencing “increasingly dark thoughts” and had decided “out of despair” to end his life.

She explained the incident had happened after Cox’s relationship had ended, followed by the loss of his job and home, adding that he had used drugs as a “long-standing strategy to cope with emotional difficulties.” 

Advocate Dale voiced concerns over the absence of support from the Alcohol and Drugs Service at the prison, as the post is currently vacant. She said Cox feared his mental health would deteriorate and that he would rely on drugs when he is released. 

“It needs tackling now, not when he gets out.”

Pictured: The Court agreed with the sentence put forward by the prosecution.

Returning the sentence of the Court, Royal Court Commissioner Julian Clyde-Smith, who was sitting with Jurats Jerry Ramsden and Gareth Hughes, reminded the defendant that “no community can tolerate robberies of this kind.” 

He went on to say that, despite the circumstances, the Court concluded that the Crown’s conclusions were correct and sentenced Cox to four years in prison.

“It is clear the defendant needs assistance whilst in prison to address his substance misuse,” he added. “It is of concern to the Court that currently access to assistance at the prison may not be available.”

The Commissioner also made an order preventing Cox from contacting the pharmacy worker for the next seven years.