A TERRIFIED shopkeeper was bound, blindfolded and threatened at gunpoint by an armed gang during an early morning robbery in his own store.

Turkish Mehmet Bulbul, 45, was set upon by three men as he opened the Premier store in Bennett Road, Bournemouth on June 12 last year.

Yesterday one of his tormentors was jailed for seven years for his part in the chilling robbery which was caught on camera.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard how Nasir Demir’s accomplices are still at large.

The London-based gang struck as father-of-two Mr Bulbul, whose family were asleep upstairs, was carrying bundles of newspapers into his Charminster shop.

Prosecutor Stuart Ellacott said one of Demir’s accomplices had been armed with an imitation firearm and another had struck Mr Bulbul in the face, causing injuries that needed stitches.

Bloodied Mr Bulbul was threatened at gunpoint before his hands were bound with rope and tape was used to blindfold him. The gang forced him to the back of the store before searching for takings. They fled with around £3,000 after ripping out CCTV cameras.

The vital recording equipment was found nearby and led to Demir’s arrest. The 30-year-old from Fenton Road, London, admitted robbery.

Defending, Michael Levers said Demir had expressed remorse and penned a letter to Mr Bulbul, adding: “He is sorry for what he has done to this man and his family.”

Mr Levers added that Demir’s business had collapsed after he had amassed debts from a gambling habit.

Judge John Harrow described the video footage of the robbery as “shocking,” adding: “It was no doubt terrifying for the victim.”

He told Demir: “You came from London specifically to commit this offence. You selected a vulnerable victim; a shopkeeper on his own.”

The court heard how the robbery had affected Mr Bulbul’s entire family. Mr Ellacott said: “He has had sleepless nights and is nervous of working alone in the store.”

Yesterday, Mr Bulbul told the Daily Echo: “Seven years is not enough; he will be out in half that time. But I respect the court’s judgement.

“In nine years I have never had anything like this happen to me before; as a family we just want to put it all behind us.”