East Lothian crime: Edinburgh man pulls knife on boys offering homemade tablet outside Prestonpans B&M shop

Edinburgh man threatens schoolboys with a knife after being offered homemade tablet outside East Lothian shop

A knife-wielding thug threatened and robbed two schoolboys who were selling home-baked tablet outside a store. Mark Harkness pulled the large blade on the lads and threatened to “shoot them” while they were selling the homemade sweet from a table outside the B&M store in Prestonpans, East Lothian.

The 41-year-old also threatened to shoot two 16-year-old boys within the store and smashed a plastic panel before being ejected from the premises, a court heard. Prosecutor Alan Wickham told Edinburgh Sheriff Court the two children aged 13 and 14 were selling the home-baked tablet from a stall outside the shop at around 4.45pm on November 6, 2021.

Mr Wickham said: “The accused was walking towards B&M when [a boy] asked if he wanted to buy any tablet. The accused approached the boys and the accused lifted his right arm and presented a knife which was concealed up his right sleeve. He pointed the knife at [the boy] and said ‘what makes you think I want to buy any tablet off you?’. The accused got close to [the boy] and said ‘I’m just out - rocket. Do you want to get shot? Do you want to get shot?’.”

Mark Harkness threatened and robbed two schoolboys outside a shop in Prestonpans

Harkness also made the same threats to the second teenager before picking up the child’s rucksack and stating ‘I’m taking this, this is mine. You’re taxed.’. Harkness dropped the bag and the terrified lads managed to flee the area and make their way home where they informed their parents.

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Following the incident an “angry” Harkness then entered the B&M store and threatened two 16-year-old customers by shouting “he was going to shoot them” and that “they were dead”. The lout, of East Hermitage Place, Edinburgh, then called the boys “f***ing wee bastards” and smashed a plastic screen within the shop.

The court hearing on Friday, March 3, was told the manager of the shop attempted to escort Harkness out the store after he had pulled the knife out again and told the teenagers “you need to be shot, I’m going to stab you’. Police were alerted and officers attended at Harkness’s home at around 9pm that evening where he told them he had confronted the boys because they had been “throwing onions at me”. After being arrested he told officers: “I felt threatened and retaliated. I felt fear of my own life - I’m not sorry.”

Sheriff Christopher Dickson deferred sentence for reports and restriction of liberty assessment to be prepared to next month. Harkness pleaded guilty to assaulting a 14-year-old boy by brandishing a knife, uttering threats and robbing him of a bag and its contents at High Street, Prestonpans, on November 6, 2021. He also admitted to acting aggressively towards a 13-year-old boy and uttering threats of violence towards him and to shouting, swearing, acting aggressively and striking a plastic panel at B&M Store on the same date.

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