A thief who robbed delivery men of a £10 pizza at knifepoint was caught after he ordered the meal to his next door neighbour’s address.
Jordan Lynch had initially given staff at the takeaway his own address, before “correcting” himself and giving the number of the house next door.
The 24-year-old also made the call from his own phone, with the number registered by the store’s till and printed on his order.
When the pizza delivery staff arrived at Aitken Road in Glenrothes, armed Lynch pounced from behind a bin brandishing a foot-long blade and demanded they hand it over.
Brandished foot-long knife
Fiscal depute Claire Bremner told Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court Lynch had phoned the Nazar Turkish Takeaway in Leslie shortly before midnight and ordered a spicy chicken pizza for delivery, which he was told would be £10.30.
She said the two owners of the takeaway, Ahsan and Mohsan Javid, went to the address together as it was the last delivery of the night.
She said: “As they entered the garden (of the neighbour’s house) they became aware of the accused crouched behind a bin at the side of the shed.
“He stood up and lifted a long bladed weapon – described as being a foot long – above his head and shouted ‘just give me the food’.
“His face was covered with a black balaclava.
“The accused moved towards both witnesses and they believed he was going to strike them with the weapon.
“Both witnesses turned and ran but stopped a short distance away as they feared they would be caught by the accused.
“Once again the accused approached and raised the weapon above his head.
“Witness Ahsan handed the pizza box to the accused and stood back and the accused ran off down an alley.”
Sentence deferred
Lynch, of Aitken Road, Glenrothes, admitted assaulting Ahsan and Mohsan Javid by repeatedly brandishing a knife at them and robbing them of a pizza on July 13.
Solicitor David Bell said the offence was a particularly serious one for a first-time offender.
He said Lynch had a diazepam problem, which stemmed from the death of a family member three years ago, and had little close support as his mother lives abroad.
Sentence was deferred for reports.
