A ROBBER was caught after leaving behind a can of juice with his DNA on it, a court heard.

Michael Bryden raided the Premier Stores shop in Irvine while armed with a knife.

A judge was told how the 25- year-old had looked “nervous” prior the hold up last September.

But, he was still able to brandish the weapon at a female shop worker before snatching around £60 from a till and fleeing the scene.

However, Bryden forgot to lift a drinks can that he had been seen with in the store.

This lead to Bryden being arrested after his DNA was recovered from it.

He already had a lengthy list of convictions at the time with a number of prison terms for violence.

Simon Gilbride, defending, described it as an “unenviable record”.

The advocate said drug user Bryden had apparently been suffering from money troubles when he carried out the raid.

Mr Gilbride added: “He had amassed various debts in the order of £2,500 to an individual in Irvine.

"He was being pursued to the extent his front door had been put in. He was at the time in a state of high alert.” Bryden was on Monday locked up again at the High Court in Glasgow for four years and four months after he admitted to a charge of assault and robbery.

Lord Turnbull told him: “For a man of your age, you have a bad history of violent and dishonest behaviour.”