Baby-faced duo left Fife shop staff terrified

Young robber held broken bottle at neck of Tesco worker

A baby-faced robber brandished a broken bottle towards the neck of a terrified St Andrews Tesco worker as an accomplice raided the store.

The 16-year-olds, one from St Monans and the other from Montrose who cannot be named for legal reasons, had already caused chaos by hurling bottles at staff in the Co-op in Anstruther when they targeted the supermarket on January 30

Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court: “One accused asked for cigarettes and was told no. He smashed an already broken bottle of vodka on the counter and pointed it at the neck of a staff member.

“The other accused climbed over and started taking cigarettes and lighters while the other brandished the bottle at staff and customers.

“One worker later told police it was ‘quite a traumatic incident – I was very frightened’.

The pair were remanded and told they face up to seven years detention each.

Two armed robbers who held up a Tesco store when they were both 15 were yesterday warned they were facing being detained.

The two, who are now 16, first trashed a Co-op store in Anstruther, causing “large scale disruption” by hurling bottles of alcohol at staff and knocking over stands and tables.

They then went to Tesco in the centre of St Andrews and carried out an armed robbery, holding a broken bottle to the neck of a staff member as they raided the store’s cigarette counter.

Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson told Dundee Sheriff Court staff in the Tesco store were “terrified” during the robbery on January 30.

Miss Robertson said the Co-op incident had kicked off after one of the boys was asked for ID when he attempted to pick up a bottle of vodka.

She said: “They picked up glass bottles, throwing them around, with one throwing a bottle at a member of staff.

“They then caused damage to the store, throwing various items around.

“At one point one accused started to cry, stating no one liked him and he had made his parents’ life a misery.

“Signs of a large-scale disturbance were evident throughout the store.

“After leaving they entered the Tesco store around 11pm.

“One accused asked for cigarettes and was told no.

“He smashed an already broken bottle of vodka on the counter and pointed it at the neck of a staff member.

“He continued to point it at members of staff and customers.”

The pair ran off but were caught nearby by police.

The first teen, from Montrose, pled guilty on indictment to charges of assault, behaving in a threatening and abusive manner and assault and robbery.

The second, from St Monans, admitted two charges of behaving in a threatening and abusive manner and a further charge of assault and robbery.

Lawyers for the pair said they would give full pleas in mitigation of the charges when the boys return to court for sentencing next month.

Sheriff Alastair Brown deferred sentencing until April 10 for social work background reports and remanded them in custody.

He said: “They are looking at a long sentence of detention unless there’s something wholly extraordinary in the social work reports.”