A WOMAN who robbed a man as he worked at a Carlisle petrol station shop in the early hours of the morning has been jailed.

Lisa Marie Nugent, 28, admitted committing the robbery at the Morton Services Garage in Wigton Road, Carlisle, on November 1.

She was jailed for two years.

The court heard that she walked into the garage shortly before 2am, and demanded £30, telling the cashier: "I'm going to be honest with you: I've got a knife and I want at least £30."

She had then shown the defendant what appeared to be the black handle of a knife in her jacket pocket.

Terrified and convinced that she actually had the knife, the man handed over the cash.

Gerard Rogerson, prosecuting, said that the victim had been left so upset that he could no longer work night shifts; and his anxiety had led to the break up of his relationship.

The defendant also admitted burgling her mother's shed - something she did to pay for drugs. Mark Shepherd, for the defendant, whose address was given as Brookside, Raffles, said she had suffered in the past because of various traumatic events.

What triggered her offending in part was the knowledge that somebody involved in one of those traumas had been released from prison.

She had felt she would be safer in a women's prison, he said.

"She's sorry," said the lawyer, pointing out that Nugent regretted the distress she had caused her victim.

Recorder Michael Duck QC said that he would sentence on the basis that the defendant, while she admitted claiming to have a knife, did not in fact have one.

The judge told the defendant: "You have had a very difficult personal background; and suffered significant personal trauma."

The defendants's family - including her mother - were in court to support Nugent.