Man jailed after squirting ammonia at Newcastle shopkeeper
A man who squirted ammonia at a shopkeeper during an attempted robbery in Newcastle has been jailed. Danny Nichol, 24, of Strathmore Crescent, Newcastle, went into the Best One shop on Baxter Avenue, Fenham, just before 8.25am on Thursday, January 7, 2015. He demanded the shopkeeper hand over money from the till and squirted her in the face with a substance - later found to be ammonia - before running from the shop empty handed. The shopkeeper suffered burn type injuries to her scalp as a result of the attack. Nichol was arrested and later charged with attempted robbery and possessing an offensive weapon. He pleaded guilty to the offences and was jailed for four years. Detective Sergeant Gill Beecroft, who led the investigation, said: "Nichol is a dangerous man who thought nothing of entering the Best One shop and using a bottle of Ammonia as a weapon. "After good work by detectives he was identified as the attacker and swiftly arrested. I'm pleased with the sentence handed to him, it ensures that he's behind bars for a lengthy period of time and the streets are a safer place. "There's no room in Newcastle for this sort of violent and threatening behaviour and we'll always do all we can to identify offenders and ensure the appropriate action is taken against them."