A 36-year-old man who robbed a supermarket and a petrol station in Perth at knifepoint within 100 days of each other has been warned to stay out of trouble ahead of his next court appearance.
Sheriff George Way said last week he was conflicted over whether he ought to let David Blair Edevane back out onto the streets after hearing how he presented a knife to shopworkers and demanded they hand over cash out of their tills on two occasions last year.
Fiscal depute Gavin Letford told the city’s sheriff court last Thursday Edevane first struck at Aldi on Glasgow Road on February 4 last year.
He said Edevane walked into the discount store with intent to rob them sometime after 8.40pm wearing a black top and distinctive white Adidas trainers.
Mr Letford said Edevane approached a shop worker, showed them a knife with a two inch blade and demanded they open their cash register in an “aggressive” manner.
“The accused reached into the till and removed money by taking a handful of cash,” he said.
Mr Letford went on to explain police later reviewed CCTV footage and recognised Edevane then went to his home to question him and spotted the distinctive white trainers he had been wearing during the robbery lying in his living room.
He said the officers were then able to obtain a search warrant and later found a lock knife and a quantity of cash taken from Aldi at the property.
“The accused was charged and made no reply,” he said.
Moving onto the second robbery Mr Letford told the court it had been around three in the morning of May 11 last year when Edevane entered the BP filling station on the city’s Dunkeld Road.
He said Edevane handed a bag full of groceries gathered from within the store over to an employee and when they started scanning the items he moved alongside him and again revealed himself to be carrying a knife.
“The accused has presented a knife and said ‘give me the money’,” Mr Letford said.
He said the employee opened his till and Edevane started stuffing a carrier bag with cash then tried to make a run for it but the worker was able to lock the store’s doors and trap him inside for a time while they hid in a store room.
Mr Letford said Edevane eventually managed to force his way out but was later picked up by police a short distance away and when they arrested him he remarked: “That’s me f***ed.”
Edevane, of St Catherine’s Road, Perth, admitted presenting a knife to shop workers and demanding money on two occasions last year and stealing a total sum of around £581.
He also admitted taking a quantity of groceries and tobacco from the BP filling station without paying for them.
Sheriff Way noted Edevane had notched up “very little” previous offending prior to his two unsuccessful robberies last year but warned him on Thursday: “You have taken a large step change in criminal conduct. I’m in two minds about giving you your liberty.”
He relented and released Edevane on bail but requested a criminal justice social work report and a restriction of liberty assessment be prepared on him over the next few weeks.
Sheriff Way added Edevane’s recent offending merited a custodial sentence and to have “any chance” of avoiding one he would have to stay out of trouble ahead of his next court appearance.
“You have to behave,” he warned him.
Edevane is next scheduled to appear in court for sentencing on April 13 when a resident sheriff is expected to take over consideration of the cases.
