Teenager locked up over shop robberies in which woman was hit with hammer and stabbed

A shopkeeper was hit on the head with a hammer and stabbed in the hand during a robbery at an off licence.
Musa Tangigora, 18, was jailed for seven years, ten months in a young offenders institution.Musa Tangigora, 18, was jailed for seven years, ten months in a young offenders institution.
Musa Tangigora, 18, was jailed for seven years, ten months in a young offenders institution.

Musa Tangigora was locked up for more than seven years for his role in a gang which targeted two shops in Wakefield.

Tangigora, 18, and two other robbers used “extreme violence” during the raid at Mill View Stores, Flanshaw Lane, on November 15 last year.

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Leeds Crown Court heard the three robbers entered the store at 9.15pm and took out knives.

Musa Tangigora, 18, was jailed for seven years, ten months in a young offenders institution.Musa Tangigora, 18, was jailed for seven years, ten months in a young offenders institution.
Musa Tangigora, 18, was jailed for seven years, ten months in a young offenders institution.

Tangigora held the knife to the throat of shopkeeper Vijayasingham Karunanithy, 55, and told him not to move.

Another member of the gang then attacked his wife, Kamalesmryamal, 47, when she tried to ring the police.

Richard Walters, prosecuting, said she was struck on the head with a hammer and stabbed in the hand and told to be quiet.

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The prosecutor said Mrs Karunanithy shouted to her husband to stay calm as she was being attacked

She was hit with the hammer again and pretended to be unconscious.

Her attacker then took jewellery from her, including a necklace and a bracelet.

The gang also took £1,800 in cash and £500 worth of cigarettes.

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The prosecutor said the overall loss to the couple was more than £4,000.

Mrs Karunanithy suffered damage to a tendon in her hand.

A scan showed she had not suffered serious head injuries.

Tangigora and another man carried out a second robbery at Northgate Stores, near to Wakefield city centre, on December 9.

A knife was held to the stomach of the 70-year-old shopkeeper by Tangigora.

The teenager was arrested after being recognised from CCTV footage.

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His fingerprint was also found on the till from the Northgate Stores raid.

Tangigora, of Trinity Street, Wakefield, pleaded guilty to two offences of robbery and two of possession of a bladed article.

Defence solicitor Narinder Rathour, mitigating, said Tangigora was aged 17 at the time of the offences.

Mr Rathour said the offences took place when his father and stepmother went to Gambia to visit relatives and he was not under their "watchful eye".

He added that the defendant also need money to pay rent.

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Tangigora was sent to a young offenders institution for seven years, ten months.

Judge Neil Clark said: "Frankly it comes down to the greed of your group.

"Greed which you were prepared to satisfy by the use of extreme violence."