A useless crook was ”laughed out” of a takeaway after trying to rob the till – wearing his balaclava back to front.
Bumbling John Veitch, 22, burst into a KFC restaurant in Peterborough, Cambs., demanding cash from the till.
But staff cracked up when they spotted the robber could only see out of one eye holes in the balaclava he was wearing.
The red-faced would-be robber then walked out empty-handed to drown his sorrows in the Peacock pub next door where he was later arrested by police.
He was jailed for nine months at Peterborough Crown Court after admitting one count of attempted robbery.
Prosecutor Craig McDougall said Veitch, dressed in anorak, gloves and balaclava raided KFC on Sunday November 7.
Veitch slammed his hands and shouted ”give me the money” at supervisor Matthew King.
He said: ”Mr King’s response was ‘You are joking aren’t you mate?’ The other members of staff in the restaurant started to laugh.
”The defendent said ‘Are you laughing at me?’ and Mr King said ‘Yes’. The defendant then walked out of the restaurant.
”Mr King went to the Peacock pub next door to warn the landlord about what had happened.
”The landlord had spotted a suspicious individual in the pub and called the police. When they arrived he was arrested and his balaclava and gloves were found in his pocket.”
Veitch, of Peterborough, was described in court as an alcoholic and been downing cider before the inept raid.
Miranda Bevan, defending, said Veitch was stressed after working five weeks at a mushroom factory without a break.
She said: ”No weapon was used and there was not the threat of a weapon being used. Mr King himself said in interview ‘I could hear other staff laughing – it seemed ridiculous’.
”Nothing was taken. This was an inept aberration. He has a history of difficulty with alcohol. He started to drink when he was 14.”
