Michael Garry waved the kitchen knife inches from the terrified young woman as he shouted instructions at her to open the safe.

Garry targeted The Local in Albert Road, Southsea at 8.30pm on October 15, 2006.

The 27-year-old Liverpudlian was wielding a six-inch blade when he confronted the cashier and told her get in the back room.

Once there he demanded she opened the safe and told her he would 'cut her up' if she didn't.

The petrified student tried to explain that there was a time delay on the safe but Garry continued to shout and threaten her.

When she was eventually able to open the safe Garry stuffed around £1,000 in a bag and fled the scene.

He locked the young woman in the back room and told her not to call the police.

She called 999 when she believed he had gone and police descended on the off-licence.

The woman, who later picked out Garry in an ID parade, told police she had never been so scared in all her life.

At Portsmouth Crown Court, Garry, of no fixed address, was jailed for two years for the armed robbery.

The court heard that he had been jailed for seven years at Lewes Crown Court in 2007 for two similar robberies in October 2006 in Eastbourne and Llandudno.

The two-year sentence will run on top of the seven-year sentence imposed at Lewes.

Recorder Jonathan Acton-Davis QC said: 'You held the knife within inches of her stomach and made numerous threats.

'The victim was terrified and this was all for the sake of £1,000.'

Police welcomed the sentence.

Detective Constable Dave Anderson said: 'This was a truly horrific attack on a lone female.

'As a result she gave up her job soon after the robbery.

'It was also a very cowardly act and it is good news that a dangerous offender will be behind bars for a long time.'

Garry admitted robbery.