A SERIAL thug who carried out an armed raid at his local petrol station has been jailed for eight years.

David Thomas struck having apparently discovered he did not have enough cash for cigarettes and a lighter.

The 36-year-old went on to hold up a female worker at knifepoint at the Shell in Great Western Road, Clydebank, at 7.30am last October 11.

Thomas was today sentenced having pleaded guilty at the High Court in Glasgow to a charge of assault and robbery.

It emerged he flouted two separate bail orders at the time.

His KC Donald Findlay said it would be "difficult to imagine" a robbery with "less planning and attention to detail".

He added: "It is clear from CCTV that this was a spur of the moment.

"This is his local shop. Short of giving advance notice, there is no more he could have done to draw attention to himself to being the perpetrator of the crime.

"I do not want to minimize events, but if one could describe such as thing as amateurish then this is so."

The court heard Thomas had initially looked for money in his pockets before brandishing the six-inch knife.

Mr Findlay added other CCTV cameras "virtually tracked him to his home" after he fled following the raid.

Lord Arthurson said the jail term would have been 10 and a half years but for the guilty plea.

The judge noted Thomas had a string of previous convictions for violence including being locked up for six years for serious assault in 2005.

Lord Arthurson: "This must have been an utterly terrifying experience for the woman. Your criminal record is deplorable."