Armed robber caught after taking taxi to carry out bookmakers raidAn armed robber was caught after taking a taxi from his home to carry out a raid.
Jason Spencer asked the driver to wait after telling him he was going to collect his keys from a nearby pub.
Instead, the 36-year-old walked into William Hill bookmakers in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire, and threatened employee Ross Holland with an imitation gun.
Spencer stole £280 in the raid on the shop in the town’s Main Street on January 14 this year.
Advocate depute Shanti Maguire, prosecuting, said: "At 3.08pm a taxi driver received a pick-up call to go to Spencer's home in Blackfaulds Road, Rutherglen. The accused asked the driver to wait for him."
The court heard that after grabbing the money Spencer was followed out the shop by a customer who saw him taking off his balaclava and later identified him.
They also noted down the registration number of the taxi Spencer got into. He was later detained and initially denied all knowledge of the robbery.
He has 53 previous convictions, mostly for dishonesty. Defence advocate Ronnie Renucci said: "Mr Spencer has spent half of his life with drug problems.
"He had run up debts with his drug dealer and was told he was getting no more heroin until he had cleared his debt. He was desperate. He took a BB gun from his house and went out and committed this offence.
"He regrets doing it and realises it must have been an ordeal for Mr Holland."
Judge Lord Turnbull jailed Spencer for four years and eight months. He told the robber: "This must have been a terrifying event for Mr Holland who was going about his work."
source:
http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/222708-jaso ... en-centre/
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