A Sri Lankan man has spoken of his horror after an armed robber held a knife to his face and made off with hundreds of pounds in Gloucestershire, England.
Mahen Rajah was arranging items in his stop, Xtra Local Express, on Wednesday night when a man wearing a hood came into the shop with a knife.
The attack happened at 8.30pm at the Hales Road store.
The suspect shouted at Mahen to open the till, threatening him with the weapon.
Running out of the shop, he tried to trap the suspect by holding the door shut while calling for help.
The robber managed to prise open the till, taking several hundred pounds, before smashing open the door and making off in the direction of London Road and Cirencester Road.
The incident has left Mahen with a bill of around £1,500, having to replace the front door and install CCTVs.
The 30-year-old, who escaped Sri Lanka in 2008 after his brother and brother-in-law were shot dead, is already struggling to make ends meet.
With a newborn due, he works two jobs seven days a week, opening his shop from 6.30am to 10.30pm everyday.
To make matters worse, the attack came only a day after the couple celebrated their second wedding anniversary.
He said: “It is an impossible situation. This has really come at a bad time for my family.
“I was just cleaning up and tidying the shelves when this guy came in with the hood and a knife. He kept shouting at me, but I didn’t want to give him the money.
“I ran out and shouted for help, and a neighbour called the police. But he kicked the door, smashing it up.
“The door is gone, the glass is gone, it cannot be repaired. It is really bad timing.
“I was very upset after the incident. I couldn’t sleep but in the morning, I had to open the shop, and then go to another job.
“My wife is pregnant and I don’t really know how I’m going to pay my bills.”
He had to take up a loan in order to put up CCTVs in his store, and with stock in his store running bare, he will soon have to dig deep to replace the goods.
People have already rallied around the couple, with a neighbour donating £20.
He said: “I’m very thankful to be in this area. It’s lovely and all the neighbours are really helpful. I want to thank the lady who handed us some money.
“Everyone is really nice and friendly. I don’t think it is dangerous at all.” - Gloucestershire Echo
