A magician to the stars who attempted to rob an off-licence wearing a monkey mask has been jailed for 14 months.
Curtis James Watson, 23, demanded cash from a terrified shopworker at Booze Busters on the Weston in March last year, a court was told.
He fled empty handed and dumped the mask in a nearby bin but his DNA was tracked by detectives.
Watson was arrested and confessed to the crime, but fled to Tenerife to work as a magician while on bail.
Police traced him using his Twitter and Facebook accounts and he was picked up by Spanish police on a European Arrest Warrant and extradited back to the UK.
Watson, of Kendal Road, Macclesfield, admitted attempted robbery and failing to surrender at Chester Crown Court.
On sentencing Judge Ian Trigger said: “For all I know you are in the Magic Circle, but you weren’t acting as a magician when you went into that off-licence.
“You went there in a premeditated attempt to steal as much cash as you could find and in doing so caused anxiety, at the least, to a lone female shop assistant.
“She resolutely refused and then you moved towards the counter area. She stood her ground and you fled without any money.
“You took yourself off, not on a magic carpet, but by plane and you remained there to pay down a debt.”
Only weeks before the attempted robbery Watson, a former pupil at All Hallows, appeared in the Express talking about his dream of using his magic skills to help police catch criminals.
He also spoke about performing for former Manchester City star Mario Balotelli, former boxer Nigel Benn, actor Ross Kemp and a number of soap stars.
John Chukwuemeka, prosecuting, said: “At 1.35pm as the shop assistant was talking to a female customer Watson entered wearing a monkey mask and said ‘Give me the money!’. The worker replied ‘no’ and he came towards the counter hatch.
“They were face to face and Watson said: ‘I have been watching you. I know you have got money. I will come back later’. He then walked out and up the road to Gawsworth Road carrying a black nylon drawstring bag.
"In his police interview Watson told police he had planned to rob a bookmakers but decided the off-licence would be easier. He said he was a professional magician and gambler who needed money to go to work in Spain.”
Sarah Badrawry, defending Watson, said: “He knew about the hearing but went to Spain. It was his intention to come back. He owed people money and one of them was a bar owner in Spain who said he could work it off. This person took the defendant’s passport so he wouldn’t leave. Since then he has set up his own magician business and it is doing well.”
Speaking after the sentence Wendy Byrne, manager of Booze Busters, said she was glad of the sentence. She said: “What he did was terrible and we are glad he was jailed. You simply cannot do things like that to other people and then run off to the sun to do magic.”
DC Craig Lindfield, of Cheshire police, said: “The lengths that detectives went to in order to bring Curtis back to the UK shows just how determined Cheshire Police are to bring offenders to justice.
“This conviction reflects the seriousness of the crime committed and the trauma caused to the victim.”
