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A desperate drunken man pulled a knife on a cash-machine user outside a Post Office in Leeds, telling him: “I need it.”

The ATM customer noticed Pawel Partyka loitering when he used the machine at Beeston Hill just after 9pm on April 28, Leeds Crown Court heard.

Having only withdrawn £10, he began to walk away but could hear Partyka mumbling about needing the money. Prosecutor Robert Galley said the victim told Partyka to “eff off”, but Partyka sped up and stood in front of the man, pulling out the small black-handled kitchen knife.

Partyka (left) admitted trying to rob an ATM customer outside the Beeston HIll Post Office (pics by WYP / Google Maps) | WYP / Google Maps

In fear, the victim then ran and called the the police, who promptly arrived and found 38-year-old Partyka still in the vicinity. Members of the public had noticed him drop something behind a tree before the officers arrived. The police then checked and found the kitchen knife in that spot.

During his police interview he told officers he had ben drinking and was near the cash point, but denied offending. Partyka, of Cemetery Road, Beeston, said it was a case of mistaken identity. Appearing in court via video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand, he admitted charge of attempted robbery and possession of a bladed article.

He has previous convictions, including a suspended sentence for harassment. Mitigating on his behalf, Ismael Uddin said: “It was opportunistic and short-lived with little thought of preparation.

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“He is a drinker and takes drugs, but says not on that day. It’s a desperate and feeble attempt to extract some money for further drink.”

But Judge Ray Singh told Partyka: “I’m afraid I do not accept that it was a feeble attempt, it was a significant attempt whereby you produced a bladed article.”

He jailed him for 27 months. Partyka then tried to tell the judge that he had been “cutting something in the garden” and had put the knife in his pocket and forgot about it, but Judge Singh told him he was jailing him on the basis that he pulled the knife out on the victim, not that he simply had it with him.

Knife-wielding drunk tried to rob cash from ATM user at Beeston Post Office