An Arbroath knife robber who led police to his home with a trail of stolen cigarettes has been jailed for 20 months.
Drug addict Kyle Ronald’s raid on the grocery shop in West Port was described by a sheriff as being “as cack-handed as you get” but the terrifying incident led to the assistant he confronted giving up work at the premises just weeks later.
The owner of the Premier shop in Keptie Street said last November’s robbery had been “shocking” for himself and the staff member after almost 10 years in business in the normally quiet street.
Ronald, of Perth Prison, had earlier pleaded guilty to an indictment alleging possession of a blade during the attempted robbery and returned to court for sentencing by Sheriff Gregor Murray at Forfar on Thursday.
His solicitor told the court Ronald accepted “full culpability for his actions on that particular day”. But he said the accused had no memory of assaulting the shop worker.
The court previously heard Ronald went into the premises around 1.30pm.
Despite there being other customers in the shop, Ronald walked behind the counter and presented a kitchen knife at the assistant Deepak Bhattarai, who was sitting there on his mobile phone.
He demanded that the till should be opened but Mr Bhattarai told him: “You have to go, please go.”
Ronald then grabbed 10 to 15 packets of cigarettes and fled the shop. Police who rushed to the scene were able to follow the trail of cigarettes to an address nearby in Keptie Street.
Ronald’s agent added that his client had significant difficulties and had tried to escape the drugs scene after being released from prison in Aberdeen by moving to Arbroath, but the accused accepted he had gone to the shop armed with the knife and the intention of carrying out the robbery.
Sheriff Murray told Ronald: “Your case is a graphic illustration of the misery drugs can inflict on an individual and the community.
“This represents a significant escalation in your criminal behaviour. I take into account your background, your remorse and your willingness to accept the effect your crime had.”
Shop owner Uddhab Bhattarai said: “The sentence is a matter for the court but I think it is a fair one.”
He said Ronald’s drug problems were “no excuse” for the crime.
“I have been here for more than 10 years and, apart from minor incidents, that kind of thing has never happened before.
“It was in the early afternoon and there were plenty people around so it was totally unexpected and quite shocking.”
Mr Bhattarai said the assistant who Ronald had presented the knife at gave up working in the shop within two to three weeks of the incident.
“He was part-time and was a good worker but after that he felt he couldn’t be here any more.
“I was in Aberdeen that day and I came straight back here when he phoned me. The police were still here but they found him (Ronald) quickly.”