Edinburgh crime: Teenager who attacked shopkeeper at Edinburgh store had applied for job two weeks earlier, court told

A teenage thug who attempted to stab a shopkeeper during a botched robbery attempt had asked the man for a job just two weeks previously.

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The masked 17-year-old burst into the Edinburgh store wielding a large blade in a bid to have the shop worker hand over his daily takings in October last year.

During then terrifying incident the teen robber attempted to strike the man with the knife several times before he was forced to run from the shop after the shopkeeper fought him off with a metal pole.

The teenager broke into the shop and tried to stab the shopkeeper during the botched robbery

The teenager, who was with an unknown accomplice, was identified by the store owner and was arrested by police the following day.

He appeared at court via a video link from Polmont YOI last month to admit attempting to strike the shopkeeper with a knife and rob him of cash at the city’s Shoppers Spot store in the Dalry area of the city.

The teen, who cannot be identified due to legal reasons, returned to the dock at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for sentencing on Tuesday where Sheriff Daniel Kelly imposed an eight month custodial sentence.

The lad, who was allowed to walk free due to time spent on remand, was also placed on an 18 month supervision order and told to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.

The shopkeeper revealed the teenager was a regular customer in his shop and just two weeks before the robbery bid he had asked him for a job.

The shopkeeper, who did not want to be named, said: “We had just opened the shop on a Saturday morning and these two guys wearing hoods and masks came in soon after.

“One of them grabbed a case of vodka from the counter to distract me then the other guy pulled out a large knife and shouted ‘give me the money or I will cut you up’.

“He lunged forward and tried to stab me a few times as I told them there was no way they were getting any cash from me. We work hard here and I wasn’t going to give up to two thugs like that

“I managed to grab a pole I keep behind the counter and thankfully the two of them ran from the shop.

“It all happened so fast and unexpectedly that I didn’t have time to think about what could have happened.”

The shop owner added: “I knew who he was right away as he is always in here. In fact, he was in two weeks before this trying to get me to give him a job.

“I knew he was trouble so I refused, but I didn't think he would resort to something like this.”

Lawyer David Storrie, defending, told the court his client been under the influence of Xanax at the time of the offence but had “used his time [in custody] wisely” and “accepts responsibility” for the crime.

Mr Storrie said the boy had “frequented the shop a great many times” and that he previously had “a good relationship with the shopkeeper”.

The teenager admitted to assaulting a shopkeeper by repeatedly attempting to strike him with a knife and attempt to rob him of money on October 30 last year.

He also pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting police officers on March 26 and October 31 last year.

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