Shop robbery knifeman is sent to jail for 38 months

AN ARMED robber who threatened to kill a shopkeeper before the takings from a till were poured into his rucksack has been jailed for 38 months.

Michael Davies fled from the premises in Edinburgh, after which the victim and a customer flagged down a passing police car and officers found him standing at the rear of the premises, the High Court in Glasgow heard.

They found 64 in 26-year-old Davies' rucksack along with a balaclava, an eight-inch knife and a meat cleaver.

The schizophrenic admitted assaulting Muzzamil Malik on July 25 last year at a store at Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh, and robbing him of money.

The court was told that he only had a vague recollection of this incident, but accepted that he was responsible for it.

Following the raid, Mr Malik admitted he was considering selling his store over fears that he would not escape unhurt the next time his shop was raided.

It was the second time last year that he had been robbed.

The robbery took place at 5:50am on Sunday just after the married father-of-two had opened up the premises.

Mr Malik said at the time: "I was the only person working in the shop and there was a customer bringing her shopping to the counter when this man came in.

"He was wearing a balaclava and had a rucksack over his shoulder. He pulled out a knife which was 12 inches long and looked like it was a butcher's knife. He told me to put all the money in the rucksack and kept swearing at me, saying, 'I'm going to kill you, honest to God, I'm going to kill you'.

"I started putting all the 20 notes in the rucksack then he wanted the 10s, 5s and then the pound coins. I was trying to take a long time because I had already pushed the panic alarm and was waiting for the police.

"He had the knife extended across the counter at the level with my throat. It was only about eight to ten inches away from me, and I definitely believe he could have used it.

"He ran out of the shop, and I ran out after him. Outside a police car had arrived and I pointed to where he had gone."

Sentencing Davies, Lord Turnbull told him that in fixing his jail term he was taking into account that his mental health problems contributed to the offence.