A Dunfermline shopkeeper who bravely fought off a machete wielding robber now locks his door at night as he deals with the mental scars.
Defenceless father-of-four Sakander Riaz struggled with a masked raider and wrested the machete from his grasp as he fought for his life.
Edinburgh High Court heard on Thursday how two masked thugs struck Mr Riaz eight times with a pole and another five times with a machete.
The 33-year-old was so pumped up on adrenalin that he never felt a four-inch slash on his hand as he chased the thieves out of his shop, Omar Groceries on Alexandra Street.
Mr Riaz recalled: “When the guy came with the rod I was speaking to my wife on the phone and somebody hit me on the back. When I got my bearings I recognised them straight away as I knew the guy’s voice.
“I was waiting for a chance and he moved his machete into his left hand from his right so that’s when I had my opportunity. I grabbed him and once I got a grip I was not for letting him go.
“I never knew about my injury as the adrenalin just took over. When I looked at my hand afterwards there was a massive four-inch gap there.
“In a way he had fear in his eyes once I grabbed the machete, but because I lost so much blood I never had the energy to hold on to him.”
During the incident in September last year, Mr Riaz suffered injuries to his right hand and wrist that still affect his life.
“My middle finger and wee pinky don’t have feeling anymore,” he said.
“I can’t lift heavy stuff, I can’t go to the gym or do press ups. I need to get help from my brothers in the shop as I can only work four or five hours at a time.
“I can’t even pack bags and have to give them to the customers to do. At night time I sometimes still get scared as you don’t know who is going to come in.
“A couple of times I have had to shut the door when I’m in the shop myself. I have to open the shop every time a customer comes in.
“Sometimes I stand outside about 9pm and keep an eye on what’s happening. That fight is still in the back of my mind.
“We’ve had the shop for 10 years and it is a nice, quiet area. Suddenly this happens but you have to come to work and show them that you’re not scared and they’ve not affected you.
“Hopefully the judge will look at it and give them the satisfying punishment that they deserve.”
Kieran Pearson, 21, of Daly Gardens, High Valleyfield, and Samuel Craig, 20, of Broomhead Drive, Dunfermline, pleaded guilty to an armed robbery and serious assault charge. They will be sentenced at Perth High Court on March 25.