A career criminal from Dundee with nearly 200 previous offences was granted bail multiple times before he assaulted and robbed a terrified shopkeeper.
Anthony Elder, 36, told his victim he was armed with a needle before looting scratch cards from the store.
He was arrested and released again on two further bail orders.
Within two days, Elder stole a hammer from Home Bargains before carrying out another armed robbery at a convenience store.
Elder – who once smooth-talked his way out of a year in jail by convincing a sheriff he had changed his ways – was jailed for 45 months at Dundee Sheriff Court on Thursday.
He admitted assaulting Muhammed Makhdoom by telling him he had a needle and robbing him of scratch cards at S&R Newsagents on March 22 last year.
He admitted struggling with police as they arrested him.
He had been granted bail on February 6 and 8, as well as March 18.
He admitted stealing a hammer from Home Bargains and then brandishing it at Atul Thankur in the city’s Family Shopper store on 27 March 2024.
He was still subject the original three bail orders, along with a further two imposed on March 25.
Sheriff Paul Brown said: “Given your record and the offences here, I can see no alternative to a custodial sentence.”
He imposed a further 12-month supervised release order.
Robbery
Fiscal depute Sarah High told the court Elder – whose record contains 186 previous crimes – entered the first store and told Mr Makhdoom he had a weapon in his waistband.
“The complainer believed he would use it.
“The accused moved to the rear of the scratch card display.
“The complainer felt powerless and allowed him to take the items and leave.”
She said Elder was arrested a brief time later, before he had even checked any of the stolen scratch cards, and began resisting the officers as they attempted to take him into custody.
Days later, after he had appeared in court and been freed on bail again, Elder walked into Home Bargains and brazenly stole the hammer he armed himself with to carry out another robbery.
He entered the second store, waved the tool above his head to threaten the shopkeeper and fled with a bottle of alcohol, despite being challenged in the street.
Solicitor David Duncan, defending, said: “It is obvious from his record that he has had significant addiction issues.
“The difficulties have led to persistent offending.”
Bail breach charmer
In 2020, curfew-breaching Elder charmed his way out of prison by persuading Sheriff George Way to free him instead of sending him to jail for 12 months.
Appearing on a video link from Perth Prison, he said: “For the first time in over ten years I am not in a hostel. I’m in supported accommodation with a concierge.
“It has been sentence after sentence after sentence and it is not getting to the root of the problem. I’m drug free and asking for one more chance.
“I thought I was making progress and I made a mistake. I had lost my house key and couldn’t get back into my house. I made a really, really bad decision that night.”
Elder was freed on bail but was arrested the following day for breaking his bail curfew and trying to break into cars and he was jailed for eight months.
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