A MAN who brandished a bottle at a frightened shop assistant in an attempted robbery has been jailed.

Gordon Currie, 21, prisoner at Perth, appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He admitted committing the offence on April 11, at AY Foodstores, Main Street, Cardenden.

He assaulted Hafuz Abrar Ahmad in the course of his employment by brandishing a bottle at him, demanding that he opened the cash register, attempted to open it, struck it with a bottle and attempted to rob him.

Depute fiscal Sarah Lumsden said the victim was working in the shop when he saw Currie and another male entering.

Both had their hooded tops pulled up and the other male walked behind the counter where Mr Ahmad was, telling him to open the till.

At the same time, Currie picked up two bottles of alcohol, brandishing one of them at the shop assistant.

Currie then tried to get the till open by hitting it with the bottle, before the two would-be robbers left the premises.

Police were called and officers identified Currie from CCTV images. However, when questioned, he claimed initially: “It wasnae me”.

Defence solicitor Yvonne Mckenna said her client had two analogous convictions which involved stealing bags from elderly ladies when he was a drug addict.

However, she added: “This offence was not a pre-conceived plan and wasn’t fuelled by drug addiction.”

Sheriff Craig McSherry jailed Currie for 16 months, backdated to April 12 when he was taken into custody.