Man jailed for assaulting shop worker at Boots in Glasgow Central Station

A man who assaulted a shop worker in a Boots in Glasgow with and threatened them with a knife has been jailed.

Gary Smith, 35, was sentenced at Glasgow Sheriff Court on September 27 to 18 months in jail for the ‘traumatising’ attack on the employee.

The incident took place at the Boots store inside Glasgow Central Station on September 9, 2021.

Smith, entered the store and shouted at staff members that he wanted diazepam.

He then went on to barge his way behind the counter, brandishing a knife and trapping a member of staff behind the counter with him, before he started to grab tablets off the shelf and put them in his mouth.

Police were called to the incident and Smith was arrested and charged with assault and robbery.

British transport police detective constable Finlay Bruce said: “This was an extremely frightening and traumatising incident for the staff involved.

“Despite this, they showed tremendous bravery to try and calm Smith prior to our arrival which I highly commend them for.

“In addition, our officer’s swift action on arrival ensured that the incident did not thankfully escalate any further.

“This type of behaviour will not be tolerated, and I urge anyone who is witness to any incidents such as these on the railway or in our stations to use our text number, 61016 to report it to us or call 0800 40 50 40. In an emergency, always dial 999.”