A man who terrified and robbed women at bank cash dispensers was branded a ''public menace'' by a judge and jailed for ten years at the High Court in Glasgow, yesterday.

During a three-week reign of terror, drug addict Mark McLeod, 40, threatened to stab his victims unless they gave him money. He later told police he saw the women as ''easy targets''.

One 27-year-old woman was left sitting on the pavement traumatised and weeping in Glasgow's Great Western Road, after her ordeal at the hands of McLeod.

Mr Samuel Cathcart, prosecuting, said: ''Normally, she saw herself as being a strong person, but she was badly affected and was later off her work.''

He told the court how McLeod, of Lily Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow, began attacking the women in January, just weeks after being released on licence from a six-year sentence for assault and robbery.

He admitted eight charges of assault and robbery on women at bank dispenser machines in the city centre and the West End. His pleas of not guilty to four similar charges were accepted by the Crown.

Mr Cathcart told Lord Caplan that most of the women were grabbed from behind by McLeod, who the threatened to stab them unless they withdrew money and gave it to him.

Student Sophie Portsmore, 22, pleaded with McLeod that she had no money in her account and begged him not to stab her.

Mr Cathcart said: ''Her pleas fell on deaf ears. McLeod showed no sympathy for her.

''Instead, he told her friend, 22-year-old Miss Catriona Allen, that she should give him money to stop him stabbing Miss Portsmore.''

McLeod then ran away from the scene, at the Bank of Scotland dispenser in Queen Street, Glasgow, on January 9.

After threatening to stab and robbing 20-year-old Karlyn Hall of #110 at the Trustee Savings Bank in West Nile Street, on January 6, McLeod told her: ''I'm sorry. I'm a desperate man.''

He robbed Ms Catriona Ross, 25, of #50 at the Royal Bank of Scotland, in Dumbarton Road, Partick, on January 10.

She told him: ''Some bloody night this is. I've just split up with my boyfriend and now you're robbing me.''

After withdrawing the #50, Miss Ross told McLeod:''You have left me with no money.''

He handed her back #10 and told her: ''I am sorry. I shouldn't be doing this.''

McLeod, who was identified from security video cameras at the machines, later confessed to police.

Lord Caplan told McLeod, who admitted 29 previous convictions, ''You are a menace to society''.

The judge also ordered McLeod to complete 19 months of his last, unfinished, jail sentence on top of the 10 years.