A HEROIN addict who “scared the living daylights” out of a teenage girl by robbing her family’s newsagents at knifepoint has been jailed.

Salamat Hussain, 40, threatened to “slice the throat” of 16 year-old Shabina Mujahid during the daylight raid on Bowling News, in Bowling Hall Road, Bradford, on February 22.

Prosecutor Tamara Pawson told Bradford Crown Court that Miss Mujahid had been alone behind the counter of the store at around 5.30pm when she saw a black car pull up outside via the shop’s CCTV.

Seconds later, Hussain, using a scarf to cover his face, burst in with a knife with a “ten to 12-inch blade.”

He grabbed a tray of cash from inside the shop’s till and told Miss Mujahid: “Lift up the shutter or I will slice your throat.”

She did so, and started handing Hussain packets of cigarettes as he also demanded money from a box under the counter.

He then left the shop, handing the tray of cash and cigarettes to someone in the waiting car, a Volkswagen Golf.

He then came back into the shop, checking a charity box for money before fleeing with more cigarettes and the knife, which he had left on the counter.

Hussain drove away down Bowling Hall Road, but after the robbery was reported to police, officers identified the car via CCTV from the shop.

Just over a week later, on March 1, police traced the car to nearby Sangster Way and when Hussain stated the vehicle was his, he was arrested.

Miss Pawson told the court that the value of the cash and cigarettes taken by Hussain was put at £1,800.

She said the defendant had previously served jail terms for attempted murder in 2002, in which he tried to run someone over in a car, and attempted robbery in 2001, where he tried to raid an off-licence armed with a wooden bat.

Miss Mujahid did not give a victim impact statement, but her statement to police said she had been “fearful she would be stabbed” during the incident, and had been left “shocked and scared.”

Michael Greenhalgh, for Hussain, of Rooley Lane, Bradford, said his client had spent eight years “out of trouble” since being released from custody in 2009.

He said Hussain had suffered the psychological impact of the deaths of his mother and brother, and had become depressed after a back injury forced him to give up work as a mechanic.

Mr Greenhalgh said Hussain began self-medicating by using heroin, and got into “several thousands of pounds” of debt with dealers, who began making threats against him and his sister.

Jailing Hussain for six years, with an extended licence period of four years, Judge Burn told him: “You scared the living daylights out of Miss Mujahid, it is clear she was absolutely terrified.

“It is obvious she suffered severe shock. You then came back into the shop just when she might have thought her nightmare was over.

“It is quite clear you are capable of causing serious harm to the public in circumstances where you fall into substance abuse.”

Speaking after the sentence, Mujahid Nazir, Miss Mujahid’s father, said he was “delighted” Hussain was now behind bars.

“I am so pleased he is locked up,” he said.

“My daughter was terrified during and after the robbery but has coped very well.

“It was a terrible situation for her to go through. She feared she would be stabbed by this man, but we assured her that he would be locked away for his crime.

“She is now back at school studying for her A-levels.

“I am so appreciative of the police for finding this man so quickly and getting him to court. They also were fantastic with my daughter and assured her she did the right thing.

“He did a terrible and shocking robbery on an innocent person. Every person should work hard to earn their money, as I do for my wife and four daughters.

“No people should go around with a knife and snatch money from honest businesses. If they want money, they should work.”