A VICIOUS armed robber who brought a ten-day reign of terror to North-East towns was last night behind bars starting a 15-year sentence.

During a terrifying crime spree, 25-year-old Gary Pattison robbed five shops at knifepoint, terrorising women shop workers and leaving them traumatised.

One woman was so scarred by the experience last year that she has been unable to return to work.

Yesterday at Teesside Crown Court, Judge Peter Fox branded Pattison "callous and audacious".

He said the public needed to be protected from him as it was revealed he had been jailed in 1996 for a series of robberies at gunpoint - he was out on licence when he committed the latest raids.

Pattison's crime spree began at the Spar shop in Haughton village, Darlington, on July 21 last year.

Assistant manager Sharon Watson and assistant Liz Miller were in the shop when Pattison entered and pretended he was going to buy a drink.

He approached the counter and pushed a knife into Miss Watson's chest and face, ordering her to open the till.

Pattison grabbed £430 in bank notes and ran out to his car where a woman was waiting for him.

The court heard that Miss Watson had been too terrified to go back to work since.

Speaking after the case, she said her life had been ruined and the emotional trauma she had suffered was still affecting her and her family.

The second robbery was seven days later at Bells Stores in Shannon Crescent, Stockton.

Assistant Sylvia Merryweather was threatened by Pattison and forced to hand over £90 from the till.

Less than 24 hours later, on July 29, he struck again at the Co-op in Redhill Road, Stockton, but this time he failed to get any money from assistant Amanda Easby.

The next day, Pattison robbed two shops, again at knifepoint.

He stole £230 from Right Choice in North Road, Darlington, and £70 from the Spar shop in Durham Lane, Eaglescliffe.

The court heard that in all of the raids Pattison disguised himself with spectacles and a baseball cap, but he was still recognisable on stills from security camera footage at each of the shops.

He had earlier pleaded not guilty to four charges of robbery and one of attempted robbery.

His girlfriend, Jacqueline Boucher, had given evidence that he could not have carried out the robberies as he had been with her on each of the occasions.

But after the jury found him guilty on all counts, Judge Fox told Pattison, of Scurfield Road, Stockton, that he should serve at least ten years.

"On each occasion the shop where you made your attack was particularly vulnerable," he said.

"You ensured that it was at a time when there would be few if any support about, and the only resistance that you might meet would be one or two women unsupported behind the counter.

"In the worst case, of Miss Watson, it is plain that the consequences to her have been appalling and I am not surprised to hear that she has not worked. It is difficult to imagine her doing so in the short term

"Each of these robberies was obviously carefully planned and in a number of them, where you had the use of a motor car, quite obviously you acted in concert with somebody else who has not been before the courts.

"I cannot imagine, having listened to the evidence in this case and having formed my impression of you as a danger to the public, that as things stand you should not be released one minute before ten years have expired."

Speaking after the six-day trial, Detective Constables Dave Clough, of Stockton police, and Jo Slater, of Durham Police, welcomed the sentence.

Det Con Clough said: "This man is a violent and dangerous individual who subjected his victims to unnecessary terror.

"The sentence reflects the seriousness of the attacks. We would like to thank all the witnesses who have helped the police through this lengthy inquiry."