A terrified shopkeeper told of her relief that a masked man who burst into her store and robbed her at knifepoint had been jailed for almost five years.
Juveria Ahmed, of Dens Road Superstore, said she was just “glad to be alive” after the attack, and said she was “very afraid.” Alexander John Ritchie, 34, of Dundee, was jailed for four years and nine months.
Sheriff Elizabeth Munro told Ritchie, a prisoner at Perth, it was one of the worst armed robberies she had dealt with.
Ritchie was found guilty by a jury of 15 of assaulting Mrs Ahmed while wearing a mask, shouting at her, repeatedly demanding she open the till, holding a knife at her throat, placing her in a state of fear and alarm for her safety and robbing her of cash on November 16 at the store.
The thug made off with £110 from the till, but her customers held a collection and handed in cash.
Mrs Ahmed told reporters at the time: “He grabbed my arm and twisted it behind my back and held the knife against my throat. I opened the till and he took out the money, then he let go of me and walked out. It was over in seconds.
“I called the police straight away. As soon as I started speaking to them I broke down.”
After sentencing, she said: “I’m very happy. We want to thank the people who supported us.
“We want to thank the jury and the judge who was especially good because I was crying and she was asking: ‘Do you want to have some time?”
“My customers and other people also helped me emotionally and financially.”
Mrs Ahmed had to give evidence in the trial, an experience she found very upsetting.
Her husband Mohammed Misbah, 38, said: “She came out of the court and started crying.”
He said the sentence gave the couple “some kind of peace”.