AN ATTEMPTED armed robber had a pang of guilt and tried to hand himself into police.

Daryl Jenkinson felt so overcome with remorse after threatening a shopkeeper with a knife that he wanted to hand himself in the next day.

He told his dad how it was he who was responsible for the raid that saw armed police surround the shop and nearby pub in a bid to find him.

But when his father went to a Hampshire police station to tell them his son was their man he was told there were no detectives available as they were all dealing with a huge public order incident.

Police “risk a s s e s s e d ”

Jenkins o n before arranging for him and his dad to come back the next day.

Unbeknown to officers it later emerged that Jenkinson had been waiting in a car outside.

Mitigating for Jenkinson, Mark Ballysz said: “Having committed the offence, because of the remorse he felt, he wanted to hand himself in but when he got to the police station he was told they were too busy to see him and to come back the following day.

When he did come back the day after he was interviewed.”

Jenkinson, 22, of Tunstall Road, Thornhill, was then charged and admitted one count of attempted robbery. He was bailed to be sentenced next month.

The Daily Echo reported how the attempted robbery on December 4 brought terror to the local community.

Armed police were among the officers who responded to the 999 call after the drama unfolded at the Laly’s Costcutter corner store at Thornhill Park Road in December.

Eyewitnesses said the would-be robber burst into the shop covering his face before threatening the female cashier and demanding money.

He threatened owner Balvinder Laly and two customers with the nine-inch blade.

Along with a firearms unit specialist dog units were also drafted in as part of the manhunt after Jenkinson fled empty handed.

Hampshire police say:

AFTER the case a spokesman for Hampshire police said when Jenkinson’s dad came to Bitterne police station all the detectives were dealing with a large public order incident on the other side of the city.

He said: “A sergeant spoke with his father and consulted with the detective sergeant investigating the case.

“There was at no stage any indication that Daryl Jenkinson was waiting in his dad’s car outside.

“This may have been a breakdown in communication but if we had known we would have made the arrest then.

“At the time resources were stretched as detectives were dealing with a number of serious incidents around the city, one of which had resulted in seven people being in custody who had to be interviewed.

“Officers regularly have to make judgement calls and a risk assessment was carried out on this offender before a decision was made to ask his father to return with him the next morning at 9am.

“We had no reason to believe he would not turn up for his appointment. We also had the forensic evidence in place to back the case and he subsequently pleaded guilty in court.”