A THUG has been jailed for more than three years after subjecting a schoolboy to a terrifying knifepoint robbery as he made his way home last year.

Michael Douglas previously pleaded guilty to the armed robbery and yesterday (Tuesday, June 18), admitted a charge of attempting to rob two teenagers while armed with a hammer.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard from the depute fiscal that on July 10 last year, a young boy was leaving the gym at Alloa Academy at around half past one and proceeded towards Alloa Tower where he was stopped by the accused.

Douglas, who was wearing a hat and sunglasses, demanded money from the youngster who replied that he did not have any, before seeing that the accused was holding a knife.

The fiscal continued: “He then went through his [the complainer’s] bag and took his phone and water bottle, and kept shouting: ‘Don’t look at my face’.”

As a result of the frightening ordeal, the boy had to walk four miles home as his bus ticket was on his phone. After phoning the police and giving a statement, Douglas was traced and arrested.

More recently on March 3 of this year, a 16-year-old boy and his 18-year-old friend were going to McDonald’s in Alloa when Douglas approached them and asked for cigarettes.

When the pair told the accused they didn't have any, he offered to buy one before being told again that they don’t have any.

The accused then walked away, with the two boys walking in the same direction behind him.

However, when Douglas was just outside Alloa Fire Station he turned around towards the pair, took a hammer from his pocket and demanded money.

Both of the boys said they didn’t have money before Douglas used the hammer to “touch their pockets” in order to see if they had anything.

Douglas then twice swung the hammer at the body of one of the complainer’s. Fortunately, he missed and the teenagers ran off down the street.

They only stopped running when they turned around and saw that Douglas was no longer in pursuit.

One shouted: “As soon as I know who you are, you’re getting done,” to which the accused replied: “Michael Douglas.”

The accused was thereafter traced and arrested.

Ms Milligan, representing the 23-year-old, told the court that her client has a “longstanding issue with drugs, particularly Valium, and has used for a number of years”.

The defence agent added that Douglas has “no recollection” of the incident, but accepts responsibility.

She claimed that neither incident had been pre-planned, but she also accepted that Douglas “left the house armed”.

The court also heard that the accused “appreciates the witnesses would have been frightened”.

Sheriff Craig Caldwell took time off the bench to consider his sentence. On return, he told Douglas, of Lewis Court, Alloa, that he has a terrible history of analogous offending.

The sheriff said of the Alloa Tower incident: “This was a young boy who should be able to feel safe away from people like you.”

He jailed Douglas for a total of three years and one month for both offences.