A 13-year-old boy was bullied into handing over £20 to a man who confronted him on a footpath in broad daylight.
Thomas McDougall had eyed up the frightened lad’s shoes, saying ‘You must have something for me’.
McDougall, 32, of Woodside Tower, Motherwell, admitted robbing the boy of cash near the town’s Bellshill Road on June 7. He was on three bail orders at the time.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard the victim was with a pal aged 14 when McDougall approached at about 6pm.
He was immediately “aggressive and threatening” towards the boys. He asked what they had for him and demanded to know what size of shoes the 13-year-old was wearing and whether he was carrying a phone.
McDougall warned he would “crack” the boy before being given £20 and leaving. The incident was captured by a nearby business’s CCTV and he was traced and arrested.
An allegation that he threatened to cut off the victim’s feet was deleted from the charge.
McDougall also admitted carrying a knife without reasonable excuse in Motherwell town centre on May 8.
A CCTV operator raised the alarm after seeing him sitting on a bollard outside a fast food shop at 3.10pm. Police officers found him and retrieved a knife from his trousers’ pocket.
Defence lawyer Diarmid Bruce said that, at the time of the robbery, McDougall had been mixing alcohol with prescribed medication and was “at a low ebb”.
Mr Bruce told the court: “He has significant mental health issues. He was the victim of a machete attack in Blantyre some years ago and that exacerbated his anxiety and depression.”
Sheriff Louise Gallacher jailed McDougall for 21 months, backdated as he has been in custody since his arrest in June.
She told him: “Your record shows violence, disorder, possession of weapons and breaching court orders.
“Given the gravity of the robbery charge, a custodial sentence is necessary.”
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