A MASKED raider who terrorised shop staff during two robberies has been warned that he faces a “lengthy” jail sentence.

Ben Beck, of Walpole Road in Boscombe, donned a black balaclava before storming into convenience store Best-in in Palmerston Road on Monday, December 1 (pictured above).

He threatened 28-year-old Sukhi Kaur, who runs the business with her husband, before pulling the National Lottery scratch card unit onto the floor and escaping with a large number of the cards.

However, none of the cards had been registered on the system, and so would have been useless.

Mother-of-two Mrs Kaur told the Daily Echo she had been “terrified” during the incident.

Then, on Wednesday, December 3, he struck again, visiting Ladbrokes in Portman Terrace, off Seabourne Road, Southbourne, before covering his face with a balaclava and raiding the branch. He escaped with a sum of money which was later recovered by police.

Officers investigating both of the incidents formally linked them on December 5, and 26-year-old Beck was arrested and charged during the weekend.

The defendant appeared before Judge Peter Johnson at Bournemouth Crown Court yesterday, where he admitted both of the robberies.

Nick Robinson, mitigating, asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the Probation Service, adding: “He is deeply sorry”.

The barrister added: “He is facing sentence for two serious offences but has a limited record of previous convictions.”

Judge Johnson told Beck he faces an “inevitable” spell behind bars for the offences.

“Before you can be sentenced to prison for a lengthy period of time, the court will need a pre-sentence report on you,” he added.

“You should be aware as to what you face when you return.”

Beck, who was remanded into custody, will be sentenced at the same court on January 16.