BINBAG SWAG
Mystery men made me do it, says woman who warned passer-by ‘I’m going to do that shop’
A ROBBER who wore a bizarre bin bag disguise and brandished two large knives was jailed yesterday. Denise Caisley, 32, wrapped herself in black bin bags and put on a mask before bursting into a supermarket. Shoppers fled in terror but Caisley failed to get any money as she could not open a till and assistants refused to do it. She eventually fled with cigarettes and alcohol but police quickly caught up with her. She was still wearing her bin bags. Caisley wept as she was jailed for three years and 10 months at the High Court in Glasgow. Lord Boyd told her the raid must have been “frightening for all those present”. She had earlier pled guilty to assault and robbery. The court was told that she claimed two mystery men had made her commit the crime.
Caisley, from Barrhead, was seen “creeping” outside Costcutters in the town at about 7pm on March 1 last year, prosecutor Mark McGuire said.
Her hands were behind her back with a blade in each. As well as the bin bags and mask, she wore dark leggings and latex gloves.
Before going in, she warned a passer-by to “back off ” because she was going to “do the shop”. He yelled into the store that a robbery was taking place and told people to flee.
Caisley got behind the counter and tried to force open the till.
McGuire said: “There was a woman and her young son standing waiting to be served.
“Caisley began slashing at a display while they were standing less than three feet away.”
The mum, child and others escaped as the “increasingly irate” robber wildly stabbed at the till. She then went outside to demand staff open the cash register – but they refused.
CCTV footage showed her return and begin to tear off covers from a cigarette display.
She then “took a moment” to decide what else to steal, eventually taking alcohol before running out with the bin bags flapping.
She told police: “Two guys made me do it. I’m sorry, it’s not my fault.”
Caisley also admitted in court to behaving in a threatening and abusive manner.
John McElroy, defending, said Caisley had spoken of “hating herself ” for what she had done, adding she was “ashamed”.