Taxi Driver Online

Armed robber jailed for Drumgelloch raid


SECURITY men delivering thousands of pounds to a cash machine in Airdrie were ambushed by black-clad robbers armed with a machete.

And last week one of the attackers was jailed for seven years for the raid on the Forrest Street branch of Spar in Drumgelloch.

Taxi driver William Mackenzie (46) claimed he had only taken part to try to pay off huge gambling debts after his family were threatened. He was ordered to go along with the other robber to provide “back-up”.

The machete was thrust into his hand at the last minute, defence QC Gordon Jackson told the High Court in Edinburgh.

“He was shown a picture of his wife at work. He was shown a picture of his child coming out of school and the message being given to him was obvious and scary and extremely threatening,” said the lawyer.

Pleading for leniency, Mr Jackson said Mackenzie was “way out of his depth” and had worn an ill-fitting mask that fell off during the raid.

Advocate depute Richard Goddard, prosecuting, said police were able to identify Mackenzie as the man with the machete after looking at stills from CCTV security cameras.

In court Mackenzie of Rhindmuir View, Ballieston, admitted that – along with others unknown – he took part in the £40,000 raid at the convenience store on November 10, 2009.

He also admitted failing to keep a previous court date – which added a year to his six year sentence for the robbery.

Mr Goddard told how two security guards from Group 4 Securitas were filling the store’s cash machine when two men burst through a fire exit to the sound of swearing and metal hitting off a wall.

One of them held Mr Gourlay by his collar. Mackenzie held a machete to Mr Ritchie’s head.

Mr Goddard said the robbers made off with one “cassette” containing £40,000 but were unable to get at others already in the cash machine because of its mechanism and timer.

The robbers made off in a silver car as shop staff pressed a panic button to call police.

The court heard that Mr Gourlay and Mr Ritchie were extremely shocked by what had happened to them and needed to take time off work after the incident.

Mackenzie, who owed “serious criminals” £20,000, didn’t get a penny of the haul, the court heard.

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

p*sh

does he really want us to believe that they! rather than just steal a car or buy one second hand they would involve a none career criminal get real,he may have not gotten a penny but he knew what he was doing.