A sheriff said: “This was a robbery at bayonet point and clearly not any form of joke.”
Armed police raced to a house in Hamilton after a bayonet was used in a robbery.
But by the time they got there Shaun Docherty had made off on a stolen e-bike.
Docherty, 31, was jailed for 27 months at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday.
He admitted assaulting a man and robbing him of the bike in Abbotsford Crescent on January 17 this year.
He was on bail for other matters at the time.
Allegations that Docherty also brandished an axe and robbed the man of money were deleted from the charge.
Kevin Morrow, prosecuting, said the victim went to the house to meet a pal and left his e-bike in the hall.
Mr Morrow told the court: “The accused emerged from a bedroom, brandishing a bayonet while saying ‘Gie us your stuff’.
“[The victim] left the property without his bike and flagged down police officers to inform them of the incident.
“Due to the serious nature of the offence and the reported involvement of weapons, an authorised firearms unit attended.
“Entry to the property was forced but there was no one inside.
“[The victim] then received a message from the householder, stating ‘Shaun will give you that bike back tomorrow’.
“The accused was not traced at that time but on January 27 he contacted the police to say he wished to hand himself in.
“He admitted taking the bike but said he had intended to use it only for a couple of days before returning it.
“I understand the bike was not recovered. Docherty gave police a location but it wasn’t there when officers arrived.”
Defence lawyer Laura Kiernan said “He dumped the bike in bushes and thought it would still be there a few days later.
“He did at least make an effort to cooperate with the police.”
Ms Kiernan said dad-of-two Docherty is a former soldier who endured a “traumatic” childhood.
She added: “He struggles with his mental health and takes alcohol and other substances to cope.”
Sheriff John Hamilton KC noted that Docherty has previous convictions for serious assault.
Jailing him, the sheriff said: “This was a robbery at bayonet point and clearly not any form of joke.”
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