An intoxicated lout on crutches tried to ransack a Fife pawn shop, knocked over cabinets and left a knife behind.
Ryan Brown jumped into a taxi after his botched raid and was found hiding in his own home later that morning.
The 25-year-old was ordered to complete unpaid work as an alternative to a prison sentence after admitting the rampage.
In court, fiscal depute Ronnie Hay explained Brown had arrived at the Cash Generator store on Kirkcaldy High Street at around 9.30am on May 31 last year.
He arrived on crutches at the same time as a member of staff who was starting their shift.
Mr Hay said: “The accused said he wished to sell a laptop.”
Brown was told he’d have to wait until 11am for another employee to pawn his gadget.
He left the shop but returned shortly afterwards and began to inquire about mobile phones for sale in a display counter.
Although customers are not allowed to enter the area behind the counter, staff did not stop Brown doing so because he was on crutches.
He continually asked which phones were newest, then began to fill his backpack with handsets from the counter in direct view of staff.
In a frenzy, he pushed over two glass display cabinets, causing them to smash.
After he fled the shop, staff found a knife with a seven-centimetre blade, which Brown had left.
He was spotted jumping into a taxi, which took him to his home in Allison Street.
Police traced him there before noon.
‘Madcap scheme’
Brown appeared at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court to admit stealing mobile phones, acting in a threatening manner and possessing a knife in a public place.
Sheriff Robert More ordered him to complete 100 hours of unpaid work.
Brown’s solicitor David Bell labelled the raid “a serious matter” and said drug use had “plagued” Brown.
Mr Bell said: “He was in a mess with cocaine at the time.
“He has not been in any further trouble.
“He tells me in no small part that the reason he’s been able to stay out of trouble, with assistance of supervision and family support, is he’s managed to become drug free.
“He was in a bad, bad way because of the choices he made to get involved in drug misuse.
“Unfortunately, they got the better of him.
“I don’t think it was a particularly planned out event.
“Whilst waiting, this was a madcap scheme he seems to have hatched himself.
“No doubt his behaviour caused some upset. He was intoxicated.”
For the latest court cases across Tayside and Fife, join our Courts Facebook page.
