A Cheltenham man, Robert Hall, has been sentenced to almost eight years in prison for two armed robberies committed last year, one involving a knife.
On September 25, 2025, Hall, 37, threatened a shopkeeper at Premier Stores on Bath Road with a knife, demanding money while warning, “I’ll stab you if you don’t.” He escaped with £119 in cash and 11 packets of cigarettes worth £162.69.
Hall was arrested the following day and granted conditional bail by Gloucester Magistrates' Court on September 27. However, just two weeks later, while on bail and subject to a curfew, he committed a similar offense.
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On October 11, at around 8:10 pm, Hall entered Paddy Power on Cheltenham High Street, jumping over the counter and demanding, “Give me the f***ing money.” He viciously attacked the employee, repeatedly punching him as the victim tried to resist. CCTV footage shown during sentencing depicted the assault as brutal, with prosecutor Glynn Jones remarking, “You could be forgiven for thinking you were watching a boxing match.”
Hall stole £560 from the till. The victim suffered a serious concussion, facial bruising, and swelling, and remains unable to return to work months later due to ongoing physical and psychological trauma. In a victim impact statement, he described enduring shock, pain, and mental health struggles including flashbacks and fear of returning to work alone.
Hall’s criminal record includes 17 previous convictions and 13 court appearances between 2006 and 2023. At 18, he served three years in a young offenders’ institution for a robbery involving a knife. The court also heard he had a history of mental health challenges, struggles with anxiety and OCD, drug use beginning in his teens, and personal setbacks including a breakup and loss of contact with his daughter.
In addition to the two robberies, Hall committed a third robbery in August 2025, punching a member of staff at an Iceland supermarket. These offenses were taken into account during sentencing.
Judge Rupert Lowe, while acknowledging Hall’s troubled past and remorse, emphasized the gravity of repeating serious violent offenses. Hall was sentenced to a total of 7 years and 9 months: three years and nine months for the first robbery (including six months for use of a bladed article) served concurrently, and four years for the second robbery served consecutively. Hall will be eligible for release after serving half his sentence.
Judge Lowe urged Hall to build resilience and avoid falling back into drugs for the sake of his young daughter, saying, “She’s going to need a dad one way or another.”