A Bristol robber who left a shop supervisor "frozen in terror" in an armed raid has been jailed for 10 years.

Michael Daly had denied carrying out the robbery at the Co-op store in Broomhill Road, Brislington.

But a jury convicted him after hearing that his DNA was detected on a woolly hat found in a holdall dumped after the raid on November 30 last year.

Shop supervisor Justine Weaving was shot in the back and had a handgun held to her face before two masked robbers stole £400 from the safe.

Daly, 44, of All Hallows Road, Easton, denied robbery and having a firearm with intent but a jury of six men and six women took just over an hour to find him guilty of both charges at Bristol Crown Court yesterday.

They were then told he had a plethora of previous convictions, from the age of 17, including theft, public disorder and offences against the police.

Imposing sentence, Judge David Ticehurst said Miss Weaving had "frozen in terror" when confronted by the robbers, and suffered depression and nervous anxiety as a result. He told Daly: "It was a very cowardly thing you and this unknown person did.

"It is important that the message goes out that those who use weapons, real or imitation, will find they suffer severe and long prison sentences to protect the public and discourage others."

The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the silver gas-powered air pistol recovered after the raid.

Afterwards Detective Constable Gary Lloyd, the police officer in charge of the case, told the Evening Post: "The circumstances suggest Mr Daly is a dangerous man.

"I'm just pleased all the evidence in the case was presented fully and fairly. Hopefully now Miss Weaving can move on with her life.

"It was undoubtedly a terrifying ordeal for her and inquiries are continuing regarding the other man involved."

Speaking from behind a screen, Miss Weaving told the jury she was taking out two bags of rubbish from the rear of the shop when two masked men pounced, one of them brandishing a gun.

After turning back into a staff room she felt a shot hit her upper left shoulder, and was grabbed around the throat before one of the men plundered the cash and they fled.

The jury heard retired Brian Sheppard later found a discarded holdall, containing a silver handgun, knife, sealed bag of coins and a purse, on a path between nearby Manworthy Road and Allison Road.

Police investigated the dumped holdall, found a woolly hat and detected Daly's DNA on it.

A second man said to be involved was not identified.

Daly denied ever going to the shop but said he didn't know where he was on the evening in question.

The recycling worker told the jury he believed the hat with his DNA on it must have been one he had worn at work and then thrown away.

He denied cutting holes in a woolly hat, to make an improvised balaclava, and said one of the culprits must have found one of his discarded hats and worn it in the raid.

He said the only reason he made no comment replies to police in interview was because he was following legal advice.