A thug pulled a knife on terrified schoolboys selling home baking from a stall outside a B&M store.
Mark Harkness produced the blade and told the teens: “What makes you think I’d want to buy any tablet off you?”
The 41-year-old asked the youths, aged 13 and 14, if they “wanted to get shot” before taking one of their bags and telling them: “You’re taxed.”
After the boys fled, Harkness went into the B&M in Prestonpans, East Lothian, where he brandished the knife, made threats, and smashed a plastic protective screen at the tills.
Harkness appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday and pled guilty to assaulting the 14-year-old by pulling the knife and robbing him of his bag.
He admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner towards the 13-year-old and while inside the store.
Fiscal depute Alan Wickham said the boys had been selling home baking tablet outside the High Street shop and asked Harkness if he wanted to buy some.
Mr Wickham said Harkness turned round, produced a knife from up his right sleeve and asked why he’d want to do that.
The court heard Harkness got in the face of the 14-year-old and said: “I’m just out, rocket. Do you want to get shot? Do you want to get shot?”
Harkness then repeated the same threat to the other victim and picked up the 14-year-old’s bag, saying: “I’m taking this. This is mine now. You’re taxed.”
Mr Wickham said the accused then put down the bag and walked off, allowing the boys to run away.
Harkness entered the B&M and started shouting at two 16-year-old customers who were buying juice, telling them “he was going to shoot them, kill them, that they were dead”, the prosecutor added.
Mr Wickham said: “The accused walked to the till area and punched a plastic screen protecting the cashier, causing it to break.”
The court heard a manager approached Harkness to escort him out, but he pulled out the knife and made further threats.
He shouted at the 16-year-olds while holding the knife, telling them: “If youse need to be shot, I’m going to shoot you.”
Police were called following the incident on November 6 2021 and later traced Harkness at his home.
The court heard Harkness told officers: “I felt threatened being in B&M today and I retaliated for fear of my own life. A****oles. Not sorry. Not sorry.”
Defence agent George Henry said his client had recently become homeless but now had a new address in Edinburgh.
Sheriff Chris Dickson deferred sentence on Harkness, of the city’s Leith area, until later this month for reports.
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