A Northwich man has been jailed for three years after spying on a couple for a week and then mugging them at knifepoint in a railway station car park.

Matthew Kenneth Evans, 20, of Victoria Road, pleaded guilty to robbery and was sentenced to three years imprisonment at Chester Crown Court on Friday, April 10, following a British Transport Police investigation.

The incident happened on the evening of Saturday, January 31, when Evans approached a young couple as they parked at Northwich Station after observing them for some time.

As they left the car he demanded they hand over their bag and threatened them with a knife.

The woman grabbed the bag before Evans could take it after he had threatened her partner.

Evans then threatened to stab her, pressing the knife into her back, if she did not hand over the bag.

As Evans fled the scene on a bike with the bag he was chased by two Cheshire Police officers who were passing the station.

They apprehended him in a nearby estate and recovered the stolen bag and its contents from a garden where Evans had thrown it.

Following his arrest Evans admitted in police interview how he had targeted his victims following a week of surveillance.

Investigating officer DC Martin Melia said: “This was a terrifying attack on a young couple who were simply going about their business and had parked up in the car park on their way home from work.

"Violence like this will not be tolerated and we will always push for the perpetrators to be dealt with swiftly by the courts.

“The prompt and positive response from the Cheshire Police officers involved in Evans’ arrest has resulted in the removal from the community of a very dangerous individual, and they should be praised for their actions.

“Evans’ sentence reflects the severity of his crime.

"Thankfully incidents of this nature are rare and this was an isolated incident.”