A CARDENDEN man’s botched attempt to rob a local shop with an accomplice has resulted in a jail sentence.

Darren Watson, 32, of Dundonald Park, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

Watson pushed a shop worker and demanded that he open the till but left empty-handed other than a can of lager he was swigging from at the time.

He previously admitted that on April 11, at AY foodstore, Main Street, Cardenden, he assaulted the shop worker, then in the course of his employment, by going behind the counter, pushing him on the body, attempting to seize a mobile phone from his hand and attempting to rob him.

Depute fiscal Kyrsten Buist told the court that at around 7.15pm, the shop worker saw Watson and his accomplice enter the store.

“They were wearing hooded tops with the hoods up. Darren Watson was drinking a can of lager,” she added.

Watson went behind the counter and pushed the assistant, demanding that he open the till.

“The accused then tried to grab a mobile phone from him. He said he needed money. (The shop worker) refused and the accused left,” she added. The incident was caught on CCTV cameras.

Defence solicitor Roshni Joshi said: “He wholly accepts the seriousness of this matter.”

Sheriff Craig McSherry jailed Watson for 12 months.

In June, the other man involved was jailed for his part in the incident.

Gordon Currie, 21, had admitted he assaulted the shop worker 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. Sheriff McSherry jailed Currie for 16 months.