A robber who threatened a shop worker with a syringe during a terrifying raid has been jailed for four years.
Gary McCrimmon demanded Muhammad Musdafa, 24, open the till and yelled at him: “Do you want to f***ing die?”.
McCrimmon eventually used a pair of scissors to prise it open getting his hands on £200 of loot and some stamps.
But, Mr Musdafa – despite the repeated threats – bravely managed to pin the 50 year-old to the ground and alert a passing jogger for help.
McCrimmon – who already had a long criminal past and was on bail at the time – admitted to the assault and robbery at the Gallowhill Licensed Grocers in Paisley on 15th November, 2023.
Prosecutor Eilidh Robertson told the High Court in Glasgow how Mr Musdafa was working alone at the time when McCrimmon was captured on CCTV entering around 6.45am.
The thug brandished the syringe which had no needle in it.
Miss Robertson: “He repeatedly threatened to stab Mr Musdafa and shouted: ‘Do you want hepatitis and HIV?’.”
The worker initially dodged McCrimmon and shoved a large ice cream freezer to then try and block him.
McCrimmon, however, forced entry to the till area and struck Mr Musdafa on the neck and chest with the syringe.
He was soon able to get his hands on the cash.
There was then “a violent struggle” between the men as McCrimmon continued to lash out.
Miss Robertson: “Mr Musdafa was ultimately able to move him towards the door and restrain him on the ground.
“McCrimmon shouted threats saying: ‘I will f***ing stab you, you c***. I will come again’.”
After getting the female jogger to call police, officers arrested McCrimmon at the shop.
Mr Musdafa was said to be “extremely emotional and shaken up”. He had to go to hospital for chest pain.
The man later stated to police he had been “very frightened” during the incident.
The court heard McCrimmon was previously guilty of robbery in 1997.
He had racked up seven more convictions since the raid in Paisley including housebreaking and breaching bail.