Teen locked up for armed robbery bid

Court was told youth tried to rob shop armed with wooden poles

The 17-year-old was foiled by a brave female employee who struggled with him as he grabbed a till.

The member of staff and her boss had found him crouching down in the dark at the back of the premises as they prepared to close for the night.

He had a scarf partially covering his face, but was known to them and although they were suspicious they simply told him to go away.

However, the teenager, who is too young to be named, then turned up at the front of the shop in New Stevenston Road, Carfin, carrying two poles.

Callum Forsyth, prosecuting, told Hamilton Sheriff Court he was again asked to leave, but became aggressive. The assistant prevented him from shoving past her and he told her ‘It’s fine. I’ll just take the money’.

“He pressed buttons in an attempt to open a till, but was unsuccessful. He grabbed a second till and tried to take it away, but the woman and the shop owner took it from him and it fell.

“The youth then tried to get to the till and pushed the woman repeatedly, but she and her boss eventually managed to push him out of the shop.

“Police found him a short distance away.”

The youth, who was on bail for weapon charges at the time, admitted attempted robbery on February 1 this year.

Passing sentence, Sheriff Ray Small said his early guilty plea had saved him from a 30-month stretch.