A drunken man, who had been out celebrating a friend's wedding, tried to rob a Norfolk petrol station, a court heard.Christopher Brightman, 28 , went into the Esso petrol station shop, in Dereham, just before midnight and suddenly went behind the counter and attacked cashier John Kerr demanding money.

A drunken man, who had been out celebrating a friend's wedding, tried to rob a Norfolk petrol station, a court heard.

Christopher Brightman, 28 , went into the Esso petrol station shop, in Dereham, just before midnight and suddenly went behind the counter and attacked cashier John Kerr demanding money.

Lori Tucker, prosecuting at Norwich Crown Court, said that the two men wrestled with each other and Brightman had thrown punches at Mr Kerr.

She said Mr Kerr desperately tried to press the panic alarm but then another customer came into the shop and Mr Kerr had called out for him to phone the police.

An officer was passing by in his patrol car and he was flagged down by the customer and was quickly on the scene and arrested Brightman. When interviewed at the police station, Brightman said he had no recollection of what happened.

Mrs Tucker said: 'It was clear he was highly intoxicated. He had been to a friend's wedding and had been drinking a considerable amount.'

She said that Brightman , who worked for Tesco, was of previous good character.

Brightman of Stockholm Way, Dereham, admitted attempted robbery on September 30, last year.

Jailing him for 12 months on Friday, Judge Simon Barham accepted that it had been out of character for Brightman to commit the offence but said: 'You were drunk as you had been to a wedding and you were unable to recollect what had happened.'

He added: 'This was a serious offence The victim was working as a cashier, on his own late at night in a petrol station.'

Andrew Oliver defending said that Brightman had described the day of the offence as the 'worst in his life.'

'He is frankly amazed and shocked by what he did that night. He wants to personally apologise to the victim.'

He said that he understood the seriousness of what he had done.

'This was very much out of character. It is very difficult to understand or explain why he has committed this offence but clearly alcohol played a large part. It is not an excuse for his behaviour but it does explain why he behaved so out of character for him.'