Robber in pyjamas failed to spot police in bookmakers Published duration 1 April 2016

A man in pyjamas who failed to notice police inside a bookmakers he tried to rob has been jailed for five years.

Duncan Haldane, 41, from Glasgow, was caught within seconds of entering the William Hill store in the city's Saracen Street on 14 December 2015.

He admitted the robbery bid and using a knife to rob £700 from Q Save Grocers, in the same street.

Haldane has previous convictions for theft, violence, drugs and firearms offences going back to 1991.

Jailing him at the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lord Bannatyne told Haldane: "These are matters which are terrifying for people in shops and the court have to protect shop workers."

Haldane was told that but for his early guilty plea he would have been jailed for seven and a half years.

'Fill them up'

The court heard that Haldane was wearing a mask when he walked into the William Hill bookmakers.

He did not notice police officers in hi-visibility yellow vests who were carrying out a licensed premises check at the time.

The court was shown CCTV of Haldane walking up to the counter.

He placed plastic bags under the screen and shouted at the employees working there: "Fill them up...or I pull this out".

The court was told that Haldane gestured towards his right hand which was still in the pocket of his hoodie, indicating that he had a weapon.

At that point, the police officers emerged from behind the counter, grabbed Haldane, put him on the ground and handcuffed him.

A search revealed he had no weapon.

The court was also told that Haldane was known to all the staff in the grocery shop he robbed.

His defence lawyer said the offences "occurred because of his involvement with drugs".