A WOMAN who tried to rob a grocery store with a golf club and a knife has been jailed for a total of 16 months at Jedburgh Sheriff Court.

Natasha Murray was said to be under the influence of drugs when she burst into Kat's Corner Shop in Hawick and demanded money from assistant Patricia Yule.

The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to brandishing a knife at the female employee and swinging a golf club at her during the robbery bid.

The court was told that the Ms Yule bravely managed to get hold of the club and was involved in a struggle with the accused before a member of the public heard her shout for help and Murray ran off.

Murray of Howegate in Hawick pleaded guilty to a charge of assault and attempting to rob the shop in Myreslaw Green on July 7, and received a 400 day jail sentence.

She received another 120 days for spitting on a Tesco employee, stealing £94 worth of cosmetics from the Galashiels store in September and behaving in a threatening or abusive manner.

Procurator fiscal Graham Fraser said that Murray's grandmother suspected she was under the influence of something on the day of the offence and she left the house after being given a row by her grandfather.

She was spotted at around 1.20pm in an agitated state and with her hood up which was unusual for July.

Mr Fraser said: "At 1.30pm she entered the shop and demanded £20 from a 26-year-old employee.

"She saw that the accused was holding a knife and a golf club and tried to engage her in conversation before bravely grabbed hold of the golf club and a struggle ensued.

"A member of the public heard her shout she is trying to take something and the accused ran off.

"Ms Yule was clearly upset and left holding the knife and the golf club."

Police recognised Murray from CCTV footage and visited her address where they found her hiding in a rolled up carpet in the living room.

Defence lawyer Ed Hulme said: "She has little recollection of what happened. There is precious little that can be said in mitigation.

"Her grandmother said she had never seen her in such a state."

Sheriff Peter Paterson described the grocery store incident as "shocking" and said there was no alternative to a custodial sentence.