Court hears how Bo’ness shopkeeper was slashed in armed raid

Sam Moore and Kevin Doyle wounded Ahsen Zafar with a knife and hit him with the baseball bat he had used to try to defend himself during the attack in Bo’ness.

Moore (29) helped himself to armfuls of drink during the robbery but dropped most of the bottles outside.

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh was shown footage of the raid from security cameras at the Premier Store in the town’s Grangepans.

Moore and Doyle (34), both prisoners in Low Moss jail, admitted assaulting Mr Zafar on December 28 last year by repeatedly attempting to stab him on the head and body, slashing his hand, striking him on the head and body with the bat and chasing him from the shop at knifepoint and robbing him of alcohol.

Moore had been freed under two bail orders at Falkirk Sheriff Court at the time he took part in the robbery.

Advocate depute Jane Farquharson QC said at the time of the raid two boys, aged 10 and 11, were in the shop buying soft drinks from Mr Zafar who was working alone when the raiders entered. She said: “Moore pushed both boys out of the way. Both boys have since expressed the terror they felt at what they were witnessing. They were, however, able to run out of the shop.”

She said Moore climbed on the counter and Mr Zafar tried to push him back. The prosecutor said: “At this time Moore pulled out a knife and can be seen to repeatedly lunge towards Mr Zafar.”

The shopworker picked up the bat and Moore jumped over the counter and went towards him armed with the knife. Miss Farquharson said Moore repeatedly lunged at the victim, who managed to deflect a number of attempted blows. Doyle also went behind the counter and Moore disarmed Mr Zafar and handed the bat to his co-accused.

Moore continued to try and strike the victim, who managed to push his way out from behind the counter, and Doyle hit him on the back of the head and his back with the bat.

Mr Zafar managed to run out the shop and tried to hold the door shut but was overpowered by the pair, who followed him outside.

Moore almost immediately went back into the premises and helped himself to eight bottles of alcohol, including Buckfast tonic wine, Smirnoff vodka and rose wine, worth more than £50.

Miss Farquharson said: “He dropped most of the bottles when he got outside, causing their glass to smash.”

Police were called and Doyle was arrested in the street in Cowdenhill Road and Moore was found in a nearby house and detained. The court heard that Moore’s criminal record included offences of violence and Doyle was previously convicted of robbery.

Mr Zafar sustained a five inch cut to the palm of his left hand which was closed with 13 stitches.

Defence counsel Wendy Hay, for Doyle, said he has expressed “significant remorse” particularly in relation to the children who were present.

David Moggach, for Moore, said a prison sentence was “inevitable” for the offence.

The judge, Lord Burns, deferred sentence on Moore and Doyle until next month for the preparation of background reports on them.