A 21-year-old man who chased and robbed a stranger while claiming to be armed has been jailed and branded a danger to the public.
Lewis Conroy was locked up for 18 months and placed on supervised release for a further 18 months after a sheriff ignored his plea for leniency.
Sheriff Thomas Hughes accused Conroy of self-pity and told him that it was time to take more account of his victim’s feelings instead.
The sheriff told him: “Your solicitor has given the court lots of information about how this has affected you.
“Effectively this was an appalling incident which must have been very, very upsetting to the person you decided to attack on the day in question.
“I have heard all about your difficulties. Someone else has had even more difficulties because of your behaviour.
“You have been given numerous chances in the past. You have had community payback orders and deferred sentences and none of it has worked.
“The court will never condone what you have been involved in. The more you get involved in this the longer the sentences will be.
“Because of the risk you pose to the public I am going to make you subject to a supervised release order. In my judgment that is needed to protect the public from serious harm.”
Conroy, from Forgan Place, St Andrews, admitted attacking Andrew Robertson in the town’s Bell Street on 21 November last year. He admitted claiming to have a knife and chasing him before punching him to the head and trying to steal his wallet.
Solicitor advocate Krista Johnston, defending, said: “He has seen the CCTV footage and has been appropriately embarrassed at what he’s seen on it.
“At the time of the offence he was under the influence of alcohol and his recollection of matters is poor. He’s remorseful and ashamed.
“It wasn’t planned. It was spontaneous. He was employed as a labourer on decent money but lost his job and that caused him to rack up debts.
“He was also in a relationship which ended. While he has been on remand he has been locked up 24 hours a day as a result of the virus.”
Dundee Sheriff Court was told that Conroy had confronted Mr Robertson and told him he had a knife before demanding that he hand over his money.
