A CHEF fought off two would-be robbers who threatened him with a knife . . . using three tins of Spam.

Brett Matthews had just withdrawn £40 from a cash machine in Market Street, Wigan, when two men armed with a knife demanded he hand over the money, a court heard.

He turned to see Karl Ashton, 19, and his accomplice William Peake, 20.

Henry Riding, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that Ashton poked the knife into Mr Matthews' side saying, 'Give me the money or I'll stab you'.

But Mr Matthews, from Wigan, fought them off with a carrier bag containing three tins of Spam.

The pair ran off but were later arrested. Mr Riding added: "Unfortunately for the defendants he had spent most of his life in South Africa where 'violence is common place'.

Sterner stuff

"He was made of sterner stuff than the average citizen and not the least bit intimidated by the threats.

"More unfortunately for the defendants he was a man also armed, if only with a carrier bag containing three tins of Spam."

Judge David Swift sentenced Ashton, of Fell Street, Leigh, to two years' detention and Peake, of Dagnall Avenue, Dallam, Warrington, to 18 months' detention. They had both pleaded guilty to attempted robbery on May 25.

Amos Waldman, defending, said that Ashton, who has previous convictions, had been extremely drunk, as had Peake.

Defence barrister Deborah Gould said that Peake had never been in trouble before. He did not really play an active role in the incident and had not had the knife.

Ms Gould added that at the time Peake was still suffering from the trauma of the death of his father six months earlier.