Serial thief guilty of knife threat

A SERIAL thief threatened a man with a blade after he was caught red handed in the middle of a break-in.

Nicky Edwards had broken into a house in Whitburn, West Lothian, Livingston Sheriff Court heard.

When he was confronted by Thomas Smith he pulled out a knife and brandished it at him.

Householder Lynda Glover lost a laptop, an iPod, and jewellery in the raid. The accused had put her possessions into a holdall he had also stolen from her home, the court was told.

Edwards, 33, appeared on indictment yesterday and pleaded guilty to theft by housebreaking, and assault.

Darryl Lovie, defending, said his client was already serving a 26-month prison sentence for other offences.

He highlighted differences between claims made in a victim impact statement and what had been agreed with the prosecution. Sheriff Grahame Fleming QC read the statement before deferring sentence for a criminal justice social work report.