NORTHAMPTON — In court Monday, a former Westfield man denied robbing a Southampton liquor store Friday while brandishing a hypodermic needle.
Michael P. Collins, 34, pleaded not guilty in Northampton District Court to charges of armed robbery, larceny greater than $250, armed assault with intent to rob and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Collins entered County Road Liquor Store at 272 County Road shortly before 7:30 p.m. Friday and initially asked the store clerk behind the counter for cigarettes, police said. When the woman turned around for the cigarettes, Collins spoke up from behind her.
Surveillance footage shows the man removing a hypodermic needle from his pocket, taking the cap off and pointing it at the clerk. When the clerk turned to face Collins, police said, he was pointing the needle at her. “Give me all the money in the register,” he told her, according to court documents. “Give me all the money!”
The man made off with about $270, police said. The man was identified as Collins by family members after Southampton police published surveillance images on its Facebook page Sunday, those documents say.
Collins has a criminal history that includes a charge of armed robbery in 2010, according to court documents.
Collins’ mother, Nancy Collins, told police her son recently took her ATM card while she was asleep and withdrew about $600 from her account.
She also informed police that Michael has no known address and was living out of his car, police said.
Michael Collins was picked up by police Sunday near the Hampden Ponds Plaza in Westfield.
He told investigators during an interview that he held up the liquor store to support a heroin addiction, police said. He also admitted to police that he’d stolen the car police pulled over.
His attorney Rachel Weber, of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, declined comment Monday.
Michael Majchrowicz can be reached at mmajchrowicz@gazettenet.com or 413-585-5234.