Man sentenced after knifepoint robberies at pharmacies in East Sussex

A 42-year-old-man has been jailed for 12 years following three robberies at chemists in East Sussex.

On May 9, 2022, Michael Youssefi, 42, of Seven Acre Close in St Leonards, entered the Day Lewis Pharmacy in Mount Pleasant Road, Hastings, with his face covered, and threatened a pharmacist with a large kitchen knife and told her to give him Oxycontin.

In response to the threat of violence, Youssefi was given the controlled drug and then he quickly left the pharmacy.

Officers attended and found blood at the scene, which was sent off for forensic testing.

Three days later, on May 12, Youssefi was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery after his description matched witness accounts. He denied involvement and was bailed while other enquiries were undertaken.

Youssefi was charged with robbery and possession of a knife in a public place on February 28, 2024, after the blood left at the scene was linked to him, and all other enquiries had been completed.

On April 24 at Lewes Crown Court, Youssefi pleaded guilty to the offences. He was then bailed from court to await his sentencing.

While on bail, Youssefi committed a robbery and an attempted robbery on April 27.

The first took place at around 9am when he entered Boots in Eastbourne Road, Pevensey, and forced his way into the dispensing area while armed with a knife.

Unable to find what he wanted and with witnesses attempting to intervene, Youssefi ran from the premises.

Later that day, at around 4.30pm, Youssefi entered Kamsons Pharmacy in Victoria drive, Eastbourne, and demanded Oxycodone.

Staff initially refused the demand and were met with Youssefi threatening, "Do you want a knife?". He was then given a box of the tablets and left the pharmacy. 

Despite being masked during the robberies, Youssefi was linked to the crimes and attempts were made to arrest him.

On April 28, Youssefi was arrested in his car in Hastings and taken to custody.

Upon searching the vehicle, blister packs of Oxycodone were located, matching that of what was stolen the previous day from Kamsons Pharmacy.

The next day, Youssefi was charged with robbery, attempted robbery, and possession of a knife in a public place.

At Crawley Magistrates' Court on April 30, Youssefi was remanded into custody to await his next hearing.

On June 18 at Lewes Crown Court, Youssefi pleaded guilty to the outstanding charges and was sentenced on August 5 at Hastings Crown Court to 12 years imprisonment.

Two detectives worked across the three cases, and following the sentencing, Detective Constable Chris Perry said,

"Youssefi has been sent to prison for over a decade following three brazen incidents at pharmacies in Eastbourne, Pevensey and Hastings, all in broad daylight.

"The sentence reflects the severity of his crimes, and we hope this gives a strong message to those who may be considering following in his footsteps."

Detective Constable Marcus Cox said,

"The victims were left understandably shaken by these incidents, and we hope now that Youssefi has been sentenced, they can begin to put this behind them.

"We would like to thank those who assisted police enquiries during the course of this investigation, as the accounts provided were crucial in helping us to secure the sentencing result."