A former high-ranking army officer who attacked a pregnant woman in a bungled armed robbery has been jailed for seven years.
Ex-Lieutenant Colonel Philip Grimes, 51, of Great Brickhill, Buckinghamshire, threatened the woman with a knife, pushed her to the ground and demanded keys to the safe during a post office attack.
But the woman, who was four months pregnant, lashed out at Grimes and he fled empty-handed.
Luton Crown Court heard Grimes had tricked his way into a post office in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, with forged security passes, claiming he was an investigations officer.
The court heard he was restrained by other post office staff and members of the public as he fled.
A stun gun, detailed plans of the raid and ideas on how to launder the money were found in Grimes’s BMW car which was parked nearby with a fake registration plate.
Grimes pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to attempted robbery and possession of a Tazer gun.
Jailing Grimes, Judge Geoffrey Breen said the offence was so serious that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.
“It was carefully and meticulously planned and prepared for over the course of a period of months.
“In the course of the robbery you violently attacked a lone woman.” He added that Grimes should pay £750 in compensation to the office manager.
Grimes, who joined the army when he was 19, served for 29 years in the military postal department.
His barrister Michael Conlon told the court that at 36, Grimes became the youngest person to reach the post of Lieutenant Colonel.
(Article written by BBC News. full credit to the author)