A shopkeeper attacked with a baseball bat by a thug robbing the Aberdeen store where she was working has told how she still has nightmares about it.
Luminita Serban, 33, known as Lumi, spoke out as Joseph Bissett, who has 95 previous convictions, was jailed for six years at the High Court in Glasgow.
Bissett, 42, chased Miss Serban into the Nisa Local at Heathryfold Circle and repeatedly smacked her with the bat.
He pulled out clumps of her hair, slammed her head against the fridge and threatened to kill her, making her believe she was going to die.
Bissett had fled the shop with £547 of cigarettes, but discarded them when he saw the police.
Weeks earlier, Bissett had attacked a 44-year-old man, described as having “the mind of a 14-year-old”, with a metal pole and stole cash from his wallet.
Bissett, from Aberdeen, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault and robbery. He admitted assaulting Miss Serban to her injury on October 25 2018 and assaulting the man to his injury at a lane near Howes Crescent and Howes Drive on September 21 last year.
He also admitted behaving in a threatening or abusive manner at Premier Stores at Marchburn Drive on October 25.
Speaking after the case Miss Serban, who sustained a cut on the back of her head and pain and bruising to her right hand in the incident, said: “I think it’s a good thing he’s going to jail for six years. It would be so dangerous to keep him outside.
“I hope he understands what he did and why it was wrong. Maybe one day he will change. I still have nightmares about that day. What he did to me is not okay but I hope in time I will start to feel better.
“I’m still scared but I have started work again. I’m not going to let this rule the rest of my life.”
Kashif Ikram, Nisa manager, 36, said: “It made a lot of people scared. We were scared to go out on to the shop floor. We were scared to work alone.”
Judge Lord Arthurson said: “These offences are deplorable and the only sentence requires to be a lengthy custodial one.”
The court had heard that around 2.25pm Miss Serban was working at the Nisa when Bissett came to the door and asked: “Do you want me to give what I stole back?”
He took out a blue baseball bat from his sleeve, pushed her into the shop, and as she ran away he repeatedly struck her on the top of her head and upper body with the bat.
A witness who passed heard Miss Serban shouting for help and saw her being hit with the bat and phoned the police.
During the attack Bissett had punched Miss Serban on the head but she was able to flee and he went behind the counter to steal cigarettes.
Defence counsel David Moggach said Bissett will be “utterly ashamed” and at the time was suffering from mental health issues.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.
