A MAN who walked into Doncaster police station and confessed to a knifepoint robbery nearly seven years ago has been jailed.
Shaun Bradley gave himself up to officers in Doncaster after claiming he wanted to clear his conscience.
The 29-year-old had escaped justice seven years ago after DNA tests failed to link him to the robbery at a village store in Winthorpe, near Sk
egness.
But at Lincoln Crown Court, Bradley was sent to prison for three-and-a-half years. Judge John Machin told Bradley he had reduced the jail term because of his confession.
"The plea of guilty would not have been forthcoming if you had not entered your confession to the police at Doncaster," Judge Machin said. The court was told shop owner Paul Woolley handed over hundreds of pounds in cash after being threatened with a 12-inch knife.
Phil Howes, prosecuting, said Bradley threatened Mr Woolley and his wife on three occasions and ordered them to empty the till, before fleeing from the store.
The couple later failed to pick out Bradley on an identity parade, and DNA tests on a knife and hat found in a school skip near to the shop proved inconclusive.
Mr Howes added: "Bradley was not prosecuted, and would not have been had he not gone into Doncaster police station and made full and frank admissions of what he did all those years ago."
Philip Bound, defending, said is was an "unusual, if not unique case" motivated by Bradley's desire to clear his conscience.
Mr Bound said : "The primary motivation seems to be his two-year-old son. It was feared he and his partner would lose him to adoption, but he has been placed with his sister in Doncaster.
"This has given him the motivation to think of his future, and to later look into his son's eyes and say he accepted the most serious offence he committed. He also sees custody as a road to a drug free life."
Bradley, formerly of Eudo Road, Winthorpe, Linclonshire, admitted burglary on 31 October, 2001.
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