An armed robber whose attempt to hold up a post office was foiled by courageous workers has been jailed for four years and eight months.
Robert Danskin, 36, was tackled by staff members at the Nisa local store in Abbey View, Dunfermline, in June 2024.
He brandished a weapon described in court as a “realistic” imitation firearm that looked “indistinguishable” from a real gun.
Danskin demanded the staff member behind the till fill a bag with money before jumping over the counter and assaulting her.
But the shopworker put herself in front of the till and refused to comply with his requests.
She then shouted to her colleagues, who came rushing to her help.
The minute-long incident, which had been captured on CCTV cameras, was shown to the court.
Colleagues ran over to the counter – one staff member wrestled the pistol out of Danskin’s hand while punching him.
His coworkers pulled Danskin’s balaclava off his head, wrestled him to the ground and restrained him there until the police arrived to arrest him.
Footage of the failed raid went viral on X earlier this year.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, judge Lord Scott commended staff for their “real bravery”.
The court heard that Danskin had a conviction for a similar offence in 2007.
On Thursday, Danskin returned to court for sentencing, and Lord Scott heard that the accused committed the crime to pay off a £1,000 drug debt.
Having heard from defence solicitor advocate Ann Ogg about how Danskin had become addicted to crack cocaine, Lord Scott told him he had to go to prison for the offence.
He said: “I repeat what I said after watching the images of the staff who confronted you and stopped you succeeding in this robbery.
“They should be commended for as you well know they had no real way of knowing that the gun you had was not real.
“What they did saved you from receiving the longer sentence that you would have received had you succeeded.”
Lord Scott also made reference to how Danskin carried out the robbery to pay off the drug dealers, who the court heard had threatened to “kneecap” him.
Lord Scott ordered him to be supervised for two years and four months following his release from prison. He added: “Such a debt does not justify in any way what you did.
“Your use of crack cocaine also does not provide any excuse for what you did.
“Given the nature of your offending, I am of the opinion that you pose a serious risk of harm to the public.
“Ms Ogg has acknowledged that the gravity of the charge to which you have pleaded guilty to has resulted in the inevitability of a custodial sentence.”
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