Knife-wielding thug terrified female staff member at petrol station before fleeing with cash

A knife-wielding thug terrified a female member of staff at an Airdrie petrol station before fleeing with cash.

Bryan Fraser pointed the blade at the woman's face and yelled: "Give me all the money in the till."

Airdrie Sheriff Court heard that just two days before he'd carried out a robbery at another garage.

Fraser, 40, admitted the raids when he appeared from custody.

The first happened at the BP station in Main Street, Coatbridge, on January 23 this year.

Fraser, who was with another man, arrived at 1.40am and asked for 200 cigarettes.

The male assistant asked for payment before handing them over, but Fraser jumped over the counter and a struggle ensued.

Lauren Cole, prosecuting, said: "He grabbed the bag with the cigarettes, jumped back over the counter and ran out the door which was being held open by another man who was with him."

Police officers recognised Fraser from a CCTV image but before they could arrest him he had struck again at the Shell filling station in Alexander Street, Airdrie.

The fiscal said: "He entered the shop there about midnight. When another customer left he placed a shopping bag on the counter and demanded that the assistant fill it with cigarettes.

"She refused and Fraser pulled a hunting knife from his hoodie, saying, 'give me all the money in the till'.

"He then went behind the counter, pointed the knife in the woman's face and said, 'open the till, open the till'.

"Fraser began prising open the till with his knife. As he was preoccupied with this, the assistant ran to the staff room, closed the door and called 999.

"Fraser removed the drawer from the till and ran out of the shop, but police got another call about a male carrying a till drawer in Bell Street. Officers arrested him at a flat there.

"It's understood there was about £100 in the till. Officers recovered £25 from Fraser who was heavily under the influence."

Fraser admitted previous convictions and sentence was deferred for background reports and a risk assessment.

He was remanded in custody.

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