A DESPERATE DRUG-ADDICT WHO HELD A CHEMIST AT KNIF
A DESPERATE DRUG-ADDICT WHO HELD A CHEMIST AT KNIFEPOINT
WAS JAILED FOR SIX MONTHS AFTER HE ADMITTED FORCING THE MAN TO
HAND OVER 12 AMPOULES OF HEROIN, A COURT HEARD.
MILE END ROAD CHEMIST HOWARD JACOBS GREW WORRIED WHEN
ACCOUNTS CLERK RICHARD MACKZKA SPENT OVER 40 MINUTES LOITERING
IN HIS SHOP, SOUTHWARK CROWN COURT HEARD.
AND WHEN HE TURNED TO GO INTO THE DISPENSARY MACKZKA DREW
OUT A SEVEN INCH LONG KITCHEN KNIFE SAYING: ‘YOU KNOW WHAT I
WANT.
DO AS I SAY OR YOUR ASSISTANTS GET IT.
‘
BUT 24-YEAR-OLD MACKZKA OF VERNON ROAD, LEIGH-ON-SEA WAS
ARRESTED AFTER TWO SCHOOL GIRLS SAW HIM THROW THE KNIFE INTO A
TUBE TUNNEL AT MILE END ROAD STATION.
AT SOUTHWARK CROWN COURT MACKZKA WAS GIVEN A TWO YEAR
PRISON SENTENCE WITH 18 MONTHS SUSPENDED AFTER HE ADMITTED
ROBBING THE FRANCIS PHARMACY ON JUNE 4 THIS YEAR.
PASSING SENTENCE ASSISTANT RECORDER MR G.
D.
MERCER SAID,
‘I APPRECIATE YOU HAD A DRUG PROBLEM AT THE TIME BUT THE
VERY SERIOUSNESS OF GOING INTO A SHOP WITH A KNIFE AND
THREATENING THE SHOPKEEPER CANNOT BE OVERLOOKED.
THIS MAN MUST
HAVE BEEN TERRIFIED.
‘
THE COURT HEARD MACKZKA WENT AFTER MR JACOBS INTO THE
DISPENSARY SAYING ‘I WANT THE AMPS’.
‘MACKZKA WAS REFERRING TO THE AMPOULES OF BICEPTONE OR
HEROIN THAT CAN BE OBTAINED ON PRESCRIPTION,’ SAID PROSECUTOR MR
ARTHUR FRENCH.
‘THE PACKET WAS HANDED OVER AND MACKZKA GRABBED
ANOTHER NEARBY BEFORE RUNNING OUT OF THE SHOP,’ HE ADDED.
ASKED WHY HE HAD WANTED THE HEROIN, MACKZKA TOLD
POLICE: ‘I DON’T KNOW WHY.
I JUST GOT THE URGE TO GET SOME HEROIN.
I DIDN’T HAVE ANY MONEY SO I KNEW I WOULD HAVE TO GO OUT AND
COMMIT A CRIME.
‘
BUT MR CLAUDIUS ALGAR DEFENDING TOLD THE COURT MACKZKA
WAS IN A ‘VERY CONFUSED STATE’ AT A TIME WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO
KICK HIS HABIT.
‘THIS MAN WAS IN THE THROWS OF WITHDRAWAL AND HE ACTED
IRRATIONALLY.
BUT WITH THE HELP OF A DRUG CLINIC HE HAS BEEN
FREE FROM DRUGS FOR TWO MONTHS.
‘CLEARLY HE STILL HAS TIME TO RUN BEFORE HIS ‘OLD
FRIEND’ WILL BE UNABLE TO LATCH ONTO HIM.
‘
ENDS
