AN inept crook from Nomansland has been jailed after a bungled armed robbery.

James Worton-Griffiths, 30, of South Lane, and Shaun McEvoy, 42, from Southampton, were spotted putting on masks by the manager of the shop they intended to rob, and took so long to pull out a fake shotgun he had time to both hit the alarm and dial 999. Their faces were also captured on CCTV.

Then when making their getaway, the two men found the change of clothes they had stashed in an alleyway had been taken by binmen.

Southampton Crown Court heard police officers recognised the duo immediately and they were arrested later the same day as they sat in their underpants at McEvoy’s house in Walnut Avenue.

Even their own lawyers called their shambolic bid to raid the mobile phone store in Southampton “stupid”.

The court was told the pair had planned the robbery of Mobile Xchange in Portswood on July 1 in order to get their hands on cash for their next heroin and crack fix.

They stole the fake double-barrelled firearm from a friend’s house and bought white masks, which covered their noses and mouths, from a DIY store.

They scarpered after the manager set off the panic alarm and dialled 999.

Richard Griffiths, defending Worton-Griffiths, told the court he had received head injuries in a car accident when he was 13, leaving him ‘almost childlike’.

“He’s not a man who has great powers of forethought,” he said. “He finds himself easily led.”

David Jenkins, defending McEvoy, said the attempted robbery was “inexpertly carried out”, adding that McEvoy was little more than a “shoplifter who supports his heroin addict by shoplifting”.

Both men pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to rob and possession of an imitation firearm with intent.

Judge Jeremy Burford QC jailed McEvoy for four years and Worton-Griffiths was jailed for three years and ten months.