Man jailed for knifepoint robbery near Lydney

A man who robbed a Forest of Dean shopkeeper at knifepoint has been jailed for five years.

Eksteen De Villiers, aged 27 and of no fixed address, was sentenced when he appeared at Gloucester Crown Court after pleading guilty at an earlier hearing.

He had been charged with one count of robbery and one count of possessing a bladed item in a public place.

It related to an incident that took place in a convenience store near Lydney on Sunday 26 October last year (2025).

Wearing a balaclava, De Villiers had entered the shop with a large knife and demanded money from the till.

CCTV showed him lunging towards the shopkeeper, who used his walking stick in an attempt to fight De Villiers off.

Although De Villiers repeated his demand, no money was handed over. However, as he left the shop, he grabbed two bottles of spirits.

Police reviewed the CCTV footage and were able to identify De Villiers from it, after seeing him with the balaclava off before he entered the shop.

He was arrested and officers were able to seize the knife and the two bottles of alcohol.

Clothing matching the description of those being worn by De Villiers were also found by a police dog handler in a wooded area near to the shop where the incident had taken place.

De Villiers was handed a five-year prison sentence when he appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on 9 December. He was also given a 10-year restraining order preventing him from entering the area.

In a Victim Personal Statement (VPS) that was read to the court, the victim talked of the ongoing impact the incident had on him.

He said: "When I am in the shop on my own, I suffer quite badly from panic attacks. I can’t have my back to the door in the shop, it makes me feel uneasy. When someone comes into the shop and I don’t know who they are, I get on edge and I don’t like being in this situation.

“For the first three nights after the incident, I didn’t sleep at all; every time I closed my eyes I had flashbacks.

“I was having nightmares for about two weeks after the incident. I see the incident on replay in my nightmares - the knife stands out the most as it was large and it came so close to stabbing me.

“I truly thought I was going to die that day. When I first saw the knife, I saw images of me being stabbed with it. I had no choice but to fight him off; it was really difficult and I fought him with everything I had. I feel that I am lucky to be alive.”

Speaking after the sentencing, Sergeant Nick Wheeler, from the Neighbourhood Policing team in the Forest of Dean, said: “This was a nasty robbery that has left both the victim and those living in this community feeling incredibly vulnerable.

“De Villiers acted in a vicious and frightening manner. This sentence reflects the seriousness with which this attack has been taken by us and the court. We will not tolerate the behaviour of anyone who feels they can subject our communities to this level of fear and intimidation.

“I hope that De Villiers will use this time to reflect on his life choices, while it gives respite to those who have endured his actions."