Attempted bank robber demands cash transfer ... to his own account

A wannabe bank robber has been jailed after ditching the traditional "hand over the cash" approach in favour of asking for money to be transferred into his bank account.

According to the Ashford Herald, master crim Paul Neaverson, 61, walked into a NatWest tentacle in Rainham, Kent, held a knife to a cashier's neck and – since he "needed money to book a flight to Corfu for a job interview as a golf coach" – provided his bank details to facilitate the deal.

The cashier hit a panic button, at which point Neaverson legged it, but only to a nearby HSBC where he attempted another robbery.

Unsurprisingly, a date with the beak followed. In court, Danny Moore, defending, correctly summarised the whole sorry affair as "ridiculous". He added: "It only had one ending – and here it is. He has led a law-abiding life and now finds himself staring down the barrel of a very long sentence indeed."

In fact, having pleaded guilty to "two attempted robberies and possession of a blade", Neaverson was ordered to jail for a modest two years. ®