Teen who struck shop worker with knife out on bail

A JUDGE has warned a teenager who struck a shop worker on the neck with a knife to be on his best behaviour – as she released him on bail.

The incident took place at Bellevue Express newsagent in Bellevue Road. Picture: Jane Barlow

The 15-year-old male – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was allowed to return to his family following a hearing at the High Court in Edinburgh.

The juvenile had pleaded guilty to an assault and robbery charge at the High Court in Glasgow last month and sentence had been deferred for reports.

On that occasion, the court heard how the young man had gone into Bellevue Express newsagents in Edinburgh and robbed £115 from the shop’s cash register.

During the August 2014 robbery he struggled with staff member Dhayalan Thangavel and struck him on the neck with a blade. Luckily, Mr Thangavel only sustained minor injuries and didn’t need hospital treatment following the incident.

On Tuesday, the youngster appeared before judge Lady Rae who heard he was at a “crossroads” in his life.

She granted him bail and placed him under a nighttime curfew in which he is unable to leave his home between 9.30pm and 6am.

During earlier proceedings, the court heard how the youngster walked into the newsagents in Bellevue Road at around 9pm on August 28 last year.

The court heard that Mr Thangavel saw that the accused was hiding the lower part of his face with a mask and was holding a penknife.

The youngster put the knife to Mr Thangavel’s face and told him to open the till. The two men then struggled with each other and Mr Thangavel tried to grab the blade.

During the confrontation, the scarf covering the youth’s face fell down. The teenager then broke free and swung his knife, catching Mr Thangavel on the right side of the neck.

The teenage crook then got away taking £115 in cash.

An ambulance was called but after paramedics cleaned a number of small cuts, Mr Thangavel didn’t need to go to hospital.

Police later identified the young man and arrested him. He appeared at the High Court in Glasgow in December 2014 and pleaded guilty to a charge of assault and robbery.

The young man originally appeared for sentencing on Monday but the case was postponed until Tuesday for legal reasons.