Robber attacked shop worker with jar of Dolmio and piece of wood

David Watson (37) also leapt over the counter and held a jagged piece of wood at the worker's throat in the mid-afternoon encounter at the McColl's store in Huntsman Road, Glenrothes.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that Watson, who was the only "customer" in the store at the time, walked round the shop, picked up the jar of pasta sauce and put it on the counter.

As soon as shop assistant Nathan Brown had scanned it, he grabbed it back and threw it straight towards him,where it smashed on the floor behind the till.

Prosecutor Samantha Brown said: "He then jumped up on the counter, producing a weapon in his right hand, and lunged towards Mr Brown with both hands.

"In doing so the item in his hands caused a scratch to the right hand side of Mr Brown's neck."

The depute fiscal said Mr Brown jumped to one side in a bid to stop Watson getting hold of him, causing Watson to fall to floor and land on the broken remains of the Dolmio sauce jar.

Watson got back to his feet and tried to open the Post Office till area in the shop. When he failed to do so, he demanded Mr Brown open it for him, but Mr Brown refused and locked Watson inside the shop while he contacted his supervisor.

Watson tore off a charity collecting tin chained to the counter, kicked open the door, and left.

He was arrested nearby a few minutes later, with the collecting tin still stuffed up his jumped.

Appearing by video link from Low Moss Prison, Watson, whose last address was homeless accommodation in Glenrothes, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Brown by throwing the glass sauce jar at him and "lunging" at him with the sharp piece of wood, striking him on the neck to his injury, and robbing the store of the charity tin containing a quantity of money in the incident on March 26.

He also admitted assaulting and robbing a female shop worker with a pair of scissors at JD Sports, Glenrothes, on February 16, and stealing a bag of clothing, and threatening and robbing a security guard of a £200 television at Asda in Glenrothes on February 15.

Miss Brown said Watson had brandished the scissors the JD Sports worker, Chloe Mack, and threatened to stab her with them when she tried to stop him leaving with the clothes.

She was left "frightened and tearful" and told police later she thought Watson might have injured her with the scissors if she hadn't moved away quickly.

Martin McGuire, defending, said Watson had a long-standing problem with alcohol and drugs.

Imposing the jail term, Sheriff Derek Hamilton said Watson had "a significant record that goes back for many years" and had been responsible for a "series" of robberies.