This is the moment a man raiding a high street cash machine blows himself up
Accomplice abandons his unconscious pal and flees the scene of the crime
A THIEF was fighting for his life in hospital last night after a botched bid to blow up a cashpoint. The 51-year-old was left with horrific head and face injuries after he and an accomplice filled the ATM with gas and set it alight. The man was hit in the face by flying debris when the cash machine exploded at 11.40pm on Thursday. He was found unconscious by fire crews after the blast blew a gaping hole in the front of a newsagent’s shop and set off an alarm.
Police are hunting the second man who – in footage obtained exclusively by the Record – can be seen abandoning his injured pal and fleeing the scene.
The CCTV footage shows the injured man being blasted into
the air in a ball of flame. He lands a few feet away and the second man inspects debris on the ground before trying to drag his accomplice a short distance.
The uninjured man, who is wearing dark clothes, white trainers and appears to have his face covered, is seen carrying a bag as he leaves his mate at the scene on Glasgow Road, Clydebank.
Yesterday, debris lay scattered more across the car park, which was taped off as police gathered evidence.
One source said: “It must have been quite a blast and has shattered some of the other shop fronts.
“Part of the cash machine was lying 25 yards away. If the guy was hit with that, he will be in a bad way.”
The attempted raid happened at a row of shops, between a Farmfoods and a Premier newsagents. All the shops were closed yesterday.
Meanwhile, pictures emerged on social media of firefighters treating the injured man – who locals believe to be from the Whitecrook area – soon after the blast.
Chef Jamie Mac told how he stumbled upon the scene and saw fire and smoke billowing from the cash machine. He dialled 999 before capturing the scene on his phone.
Tweeting the image, he said: “Ended up having to call emergency services last night. I got lost dropping a mate off and saw smoke and flames coming from the Farmfoods cash machine.
“Two guys tried to fill the cash machine with gas and blew it and themselves up. One guy ran away, the other has life-threatening injuries.”
Jamie’s picture shows three firemen administering first aid to the man, surrounded by debris from the explosion. A second picture showed what appeared to be a piece of the ATM lying on the ground.
Police had not been able to question the injured man at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, where medics described his condition as “critical” yesterday. Detective Inspector Fiona Macarthur said: “Inquiries are at a very early stage to establish the full circumstances and officers are currently examining CCTV as well as speaking to local businesses and residents.
“One line of inquiry is that two men were trying to steal the ATM and one of them has been injured in the process.
“I would appeal to anyone who was in the area and saw anything suspicious to please get in touch.”
In April last year, a gang of seven men who caused explosions at cash machines in Scotland and England were jailed for a total of 92 years.
The group, who were finally snared in the Angus area, stole more than £550,000 and caused more than £160,000 worth of damage in Merseyside, Cheshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Suffolk, Aberdeen, Perth and Carnoustie in 2015 and 2016.
Led by 28-year-old Andrew White, the gang used a stolen HGV as a mobile HQ to carry the cars and gas canisters they used to blast out the ATMs.