Mum of three jailed for for threatening teen shop-workers with bread knife

An armed thug thwarted by teen have-a-go-hero when she held her at knifepoint at a newsagents, has been jailed for two years.

Catherine Anderson, 47, grabbed the 16-year-old girl and waved a bread knife at her as she lunged over and tried to get money from her at the till.

The teenager’s 17-year-old sister responded to the girl’s cry for help but Anderson turned on her and took hold of her and held the knife at her face.

They struggled and Anderson dropped the knife then she dragged the 17-year-old outside by the hair and knocked her to the ground.

The terrifying incident came to an end when the quick-thinking 16-year-old old smacked Anderson on the head with a pole and her sister ran back into the shop.

Dramatic CCTV footage of the incident was played to the court.

Anderson, from Thornliebank, Glasgow pleaded guilty at the city’s sheriff court to assaulting the 16-year-old and attempting to rob her of cash at the shop in the south of the city, and assaulting the 17-year-old to her injury on August 8.

Sheriff Daniel Scullion jailed Anderson for two years, reduced from 32 months because she pled guilty.

The court previously heard around 6pm the sisters were working in the newsagents, the 16-year-old was at the till and the 17-year-old was in the back of the area where the stock was, when tooled-up Anderson went in.

Procurator fiscal depute Lucy Adams said: “Anderson approached the till counter and leaned over the counter and grabbed the 16-year-old by the clothing and brandished a large bread knife at her.

“Anderson repeatedly shouted ‘give me money’, she held the knife out in front of her and leaned out towards the teenager.

“The girl was extremely frighted and screamed for her sister and managed to repeatedly press the panic alarm behind the till which directly notifies the police of an incident.”

The 17-year-old ran to the till and saw her sister being threatened, before she was grabbed by Anderson and pushed towards a fridge, with the knife held at her face.

There was a struggle and Anderson dropped the knife beside the till on the floor, then dragged the older girl outside by the hair where she fell to the ground.

Miss Adams added: “Anderson continued to hold on to the teenager’s hair and pull it and struck her on the face.

“Extremely fearful for her sister's safety, the 16-year-old grabbed a pole used to pull the shutter and ran outside and struck Anderson on the head.

“Anderson let go and walked away a short time later. Both girls ran inside the shop at the police attended a short time later.”

Officers looked at CCTV from the shop and Anderson was found at an address in Thornliebank, she was taken to hospital for stitches to her head then Helen Street police office.

The court heard the girls haven’t returned to the shop since the incident and have suffered nightmares and flashbacks since.

Defence lawyer Jim Roberton said she did it because she had no money.

He said: “It’s more by accident than design there was no serious injury cause to these young woman.”

Mr Roberton added that Anderson, a mum-of-three, is disgusted and ashamed of her behaviour.