Knife thug in store robbery
Laming admits £150 theft at shop
A knife thug who robbed a newsagents confessed when police spoke to him saying: “I put my hands up to it.
“It was me. I was going to hand myself in.”
On Monday at the High Court in Glasgow, 28- year- old John Laming admitted robbing shop assistant Zahir Khan of £150 at knifepoint.
The offence was committed on July 14 at the shop at 18 Hamilton Road, Rutherglen.
Advocate depute Blair Speed, prosecuting, said that Laming, of Coldstream Drive, Rutherglen, walked into the shop around 8pm with his hood up looked around and then left.
Five minutes later Laming entered the shop again, walked behind the counter and put a knife to Mr Khan’s face.
Mr Speed said: “The accused told Mr Khan: ‘If you move you are gone,’ and then demanded money.”
The incident was caught on CCTV which showed Mr Khan biting Laming on the arm and grabbing the knife from him during a struggle.
Mr Khan tried to keep Laming in the shop until the police arrived and also ran to the front of the shop shouting for help.
I put my hands up to it. It was me. I was going to hand myself in
However, Laming managed to escape, but left the knife behind.
Both men ended up with minor cuts from the knife and the accused’s DNA was found on bloodspots on Mr Khan’s jumper.
The court heard that Laming told the police he could remember little of the robbery.
He said he had taken cannabis beforehand. He remembered going back to a car and giving the driver the cash he had stolen.
He claimed he was given £20 or £30 of the money for himself.
Laming then told police: “I just wish it had never happened.”
The court was told that as a result of the incident Mr Khan has suffered stress, sleepless nights and flashbacks.
Judge Lord Bannatyne deferred sentence for background reports until November 16 at the High Court at Aberdeen.
His defence counsel will give a plea in mitigation then.