Edinburgh man who threatened Prestonpans schoolboy with knife in 'terrifying' attack is jailed

East Lothian schoolboy said he had “never been as scared” after being threatened with knife

A thug who pulled a knife on a schoolboy and robbed him while he was selling homemade tablet from a stall has been jailed for 16 months. Mark Harkness threatened the terrified boy with the blade and said he would “shoot” him as he tried to earn extra pocket money by selling the confectionery outside a shop in Prestonpans, East Lothian.

The 41-year-old then grabbed a bag belonging to the 14-year-old schoolboy and said: “I’m taking this, this is mine – you’re taxed”. The manager of the B&M store managed to get the youngster safely inside the shop before locking all the customers inside until police arrived soon after. The lad selling the tablet, who was just 14 at the time, said he had “never been as scared” and has now been forced to give up selling the sweet due to the shocking attack.

Harkness pleaded guilty to assaulting the 14-year-old boy and robbing him of a bag when he appeared at the Capital’s sheriff court last month and he was back in the dock for sentencing on Friday, March 31.

Mark Harkness, whose face has been pixelated for legal reasons, outside court in Edinburgh

Solicitor George Henry, defending, said Harkness had been on a downward spiral since losing his job during Covid and had turned to drinking alcohol to excess. Mr Henry said his client had been living in Prestonpans at the time and his family had been targeted by local youths who he claimed had been throwing fireworks at his home. Harkness had believed one of the boys outside the store to be “responsible for the attacks” on his family and “rightly or wrongly” had retaliated.

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Sheriff Christopher Dickson said: “Taking into account the amendment made to the charges and the content of background report this was a very serious offence. It must have been terrifying for the 14-year-old boy who was selling tablet and then the behaviour in the shop must have been terrifying. Given that, and taken with your record, custody is the only appropriate way of dealing with you.”

Harkness, from Leith, Edinburgh was jailed for a total of 16 months. Speaking after the verdict, the young victim said: “I sold the tablet outside the shop every week. I was great at it and had lots of regular customers. I done it just to make a bit extra money and to keep me hanging out with the wrong people.

“I was standing selling my tablet and my friend was passing and came to chat. Shortly after the man came up to me and demanded all my things including my bag that I kept the tablet in. He had the knife pressed against me and I must admit everything was a blur for a few seconds after that with pure fear. After it happened he also swung the knife and the ladies in the shop were worried about me and told me to come in.

“They closed the shop and anyone who was in there had to stay in and no one was allowed out. The knife he had was big and when it was pressed on me I thought I was going to get stabbed - I just wanted to run home and I have never been as scared. He was definitely on something whether that was drink or drugs I don’t know.”

The brave youngster said: “He scared me to the point I gave up something I loved and was proud of. I had sold the tablet for over four years and he put an end to that. I’m glad he won’t be able to do it to anyone else and I hope when he gets out he doesn’t do anything like that again.”

Previously the court was told Harkness approached the boy as he was selling the tablet outside the shop at around 4.45pm on November 6, 2021. Prosecutor Alan Wickham said following the attack an “angry” Harkness entered the store and threatened two 16-year-old boys by shouting “he was going to shoot them” and that “they were dead”. He then called the boys “f***ing wee bastards” and smashed a plastic screen within the shop.

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 another 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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