Terrified shoppers were left stunned after a man strolled into an Aberdeen Tesco store with an axe in broad daylight.
Edwin Murray, 27, walked into the Tesco Express store on Great Western Road at around 2.20pm with the “small hatchet-style axe” and began shouting and using the weapon to knock bottles of booze off shelves.
Fiscal depute Colin Neilson told Aberdeen Sheriff Court: “Inside the store he started shouting and acting aggressively.
“A loud smashing sound was heard coming from aisle two where alcohol is sold.
“The accused was using the axe to drag various bottles of wine off the shelf causing seven bottles to smash on the ground.”
Mr Neilson added that Murray was acting “in a reckless manner” and had a “total disregard for the safety of others”.
He said: “Members of the public and staff nearby were scared of the accused and of his unknown intentions with the axe. The panic alarm was sounded.
“A member of the public who had seen the accused outside entered the store and saw the axe now lying on the floor. He picked it up.
“Two members of the public saw the accused at the end of the alcohol aisle. They managed to restrain the accused.
“They kept him restrained until the police arrived. During this time the accused advised that he wanted to go to jail.”
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Mr Neilson told the court: “When police arrived he was cautioned and arrested.
“Prior to being placed in the police vehicle the accused stated he had possession of a knife in his rucksack and a Stanley knife.
“These two items were also seized by police.”
The fiscal depute added the value of the damage in Tesco was around £70.
Murray, described as a prisoner at HMP Grampian, pled guilty to possession of a knife, possession of a Stanley knife and to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner while in possession of an axe.
Defence agent Lynn Bentley said her client had never previously been locked up.
Sheriff Andrew Miller deferred sentence on Murray until August for reports.
A Crown motion for forfeiture of both knives and the axe was also granted.
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