Liam Allen

Liam Allen, 18, targeted the 65-year-old woman on Selby Road, Halton, on January 13 this year as she was going shopping.

Leeds Crown Court heard Allen jumped out from behind a parked car and said: "Get off your scooter now."

Louise Pryke, prosecuting, said the victim initially thought it was a joke.

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Allen then said to her: "I'm not kidding, I'm going to stab you."

ALSO IN COURT: Paranoid Leeds thug put his girlfriend in a dog cage and swallowed her SIM cardThe teenager pulled out a kitchen knife and ordered the woman to hand over her purse.

Allen then put the knife away and began walking off empty-handed but returned and said to her: "I don't know whether to to stab you anyway."

He took the keys out of the ignition of the scooter and threw them into the road.

The incident was captured on CCTV and Allen was identified from the footage.

A knife and a small amount of cannabis were recovered when police searched his home.

'Clearly immature'

The court heard Allen had stolen eight cans of lager from a shop on Selby Road shortly before targeting the woman.

He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery, theft, possession of a bladed article in public and possession of cannabis.

Giles Grant, mitigating, said Allen had had a troubled upbringing and had problems with drug abuse.

He was sent to a young offenders institution for three years, four months.