By Hugo Gye PUBLISHED: 10:12 EST, 10 April 2013 | UPDATED: 10:28 EST, 10 April 2013 A terrifying knifepoint robbery which was captured on CCTV appeared to show an innocent bystander look on in horror as a thief stole a till from a corner shop. But in fact the witness - who even offered moral support to the victims - was an accomplice helping his flatmate execute the robbery as part of a botched sting operation. Francis Hobin, who can be seen on the video ducking for cover, had posed as a shopper in the grocery store in Manchester to trick the shopkeeper into opening the till.
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Francis Hobin, 38, was witness to robbery in Manchester corner shop
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But police discovered thief Shane Doyle, 32, actually lived with Hobin
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Pair both sentenced to jail for botched sting operation
Fighting back: When the shopkeeper attempted to intervene, @placeholder waved the knife at him and punched him
Robbery: @placeholder burst in waving a kitchen knife and demanding the contents of the shop's till