A violent thug has been handed a seven-year extended sentence for holding a knife to a student’s throat.
Ian Smith was left “traumatised” after being targeted by drug-fuelled Shaun Dunn at an ATM outside the Co-Op on Brook Street on February 13.
Dundee Sheriff Court heard Dunn pounced on Mr Smith from behind as he took out a £10 note and held the knife to his throat.
Today, a sheriff blasted Dunn’s heinous attack and ordered him to serve a custodial term of four years and six months as part of the sentence.
Sheriff Alastair Brown said: “The complainer has been traumatised. I’ve seen a victim impact statement which describes that quite clearly.
“This was a bad offence committed by a man with a serious record and it seems to me that my duty is both to protect the public and, so far as I can, deter you and other people from conduct of this sort.”
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Dunn struggled with Mr Smith, threatened to stab him and demanded “every penny” from his account while robbing the student of the money.
The court was shown CCTV footage of the attack, which only ended when two men approaching the store went to Mr Smith’s aid after he shouted for help.
One grabbed Dunn’s right arm which allowed Mr Smith to push the knife-wielding thug away.
Dunn then fell over and dropped the knife but grabbed it again and shouted to the three men: “You are going to get stabbed.”
It was revealed Dunn has a string of previous convictions including theft, assault and knife crime.
Defence solicitor Ian Houston said Dunn was high on valium and diazepam when he launched his “doomed” attack on Mr Smith.
He said: “He was doomed not so much to fail but he wouldn’t get away with it.
“It was right next to a shop, the shop was open and one of the witnesses actually recognised him.
“It was a hopeless attempt to get away with it.”
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