A shop owner sprayed a can of insect repellent at an assailant who threatened him with a firearm at his off-licence in Gateshead, Tyne & Wear. Wayne Barnes, aged 33, pointed a .177 calibre imitation firearm at the shop owner’s face to intimidate him into handing over cash, but fled empty-handed after being chased off. Barnes, who was on a suspended sentence and two conditional discharges at the time, told police he had been “forced” to carry out the raid because of a drugs debt. He admitted attempted robbery and having an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and was jailed for 45 months.