A Perth man threatened a newsagent with a knife as he stole more than £1,000 during a masked robbery.
William Davidson, Logie Crescent, masked his face with a scarf during the raid at RS McColl on Perth’s Rannoch Road.
The hooded raider threatened 44-year-old staff member David Ferguson with a knife before fleeing with cash from the till.
Davidson, 58, walked into the store armed with the knife at around 6.45pm on October 26 last year.
The shop is one of a row of shops at the top end of Rannoch Road, the main artery through the sprawling Letham housing scheme.
At Perth Sheriff Court on Tuesday, Davidson admitted assaulting Mr Ferguson while his face was masked and demanding money.
Davidson pressed a knife against Mr Ferguson’s body and threatened to stab the shop employee, before robbing him of around £1,170.
Mr Ferguson was reported to have been left shocked but unhurt as a result of the incident.
One shopworker who was working nearby at the time said: “As always, the area was busy at the time.
“There are a number of shops here plus a bookies and a pub. There is also a takeaway right next to the McColl’s shop but it is shut on Mondays.
“Perhaps the robber was aware of this because the takeaway is usually mobbed. I saw a fair number of police about and knew something serious had happened.”
Another shocked trader said: “Thankfully, it’s not the sort of thing you hear happening every day.”
Police made door-to-door inquiries and trawled through CCTV from both the shop and local businesses in an effort to trace the masked raider.
Perth City North councillor Calum Gillies, whose ward covers the Rannoch Road area, said: “The area where the robbery occurred is well populated.
“A lot of families live there and there are always youngsters running about. It’s shocking an incident such as this has happened.”
Sheriff Fiona Tait deferred sentence until August 30 for the preparation of criminal justice social work reports.
When approached by The Courier Mr Ferguson declined to comment on his ordeal.
