Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Machete-wielding thug made threats
THESE dramatic CCTV pictures show the moment a man armed with a machete terrorised a shop worker at a city newsagent.
Hasseb Kiyani was left shaking with fear after Bruce Harper (pictured right) walked into Court Street News wearing a balaclava and waving the huge blade — apparently because he had a grudge against owner Rao Saim.
The racist thug then went outside and repeatedly smashed the machete off a motorbike parked nearby.
Rao, 36, who was not on the premises at the time, said Harper walked into the shop threatening to “sort out” another member of staff.
Harper, 28, was jailed for 16 months at Dundee Sheriff Court after admitting three charges — including possessing a knife in a public place.
Rao told the Tele today: “I saw the fear in Hasseb’s eyes. He’d been too shocked to push the panic button. I entered the store around 40 minutes after it happened but when Hasseb told me about it he was trembling with fear.
“I contacted t he police straight away and pointed out that Bruce lived in a property nearby.
“There had been a cricket bat which had been left behind the counter. Hasseb gripped the bat and Harper said his issue was with the other guy — I can only presume it was me.
“Myself and Hasseb were unaware of any previous issue with the customer. Who would have been prepared for an incident like that to have happened?”
Rao said Harper had asked Hasseb earlier in the day if he could buy alcohol before the official trading hours and he had told him no. He said: “He began to shout racist remarks and entered the store within a matter of minutes, pulling out a large knife.”
In court, Harper’s lawyer John Boyle said his client suffered from mental health issues, aggravated by drugs and alcohol misuse.
Harper, a prisoner at Perth, admitted acting in a racially aggravated manner which caused or was intended to cause alarm and distress to Hasseb Kiyani. He admitted shouting, swearing, acting aggressively and threatening him with violence on September 19 2015.
He also admitted maliciously causing damage to another person’s property.