Thug raised crowbar ‘as if to hit’ taxi driver before stealing his car

A taxi driver feared he would die as a thug threatened him with a crowbar before making off in his car in Bellshill.

David Mcaulay was watching videos on his phone in the car park of a 24-hour supermarket when Christopher Wilson struck at 2.45am.

The 46-year-old looked on helplessly as his Citroen was driven away, but was thankful that he hadn’t been hurt.

Wilson, 29, was jailed for 22 months at Hamilton Sheriff Court.

He admitted assault and robbery in the car park at Bellshill’s Tesco on February 5 while on bail for another matter.

Wilson also admitted damaging a cash machine at the town’s Morrisons store, breaking into the Morrisons petrol station kiosk and stealing a Mini from outside a house in Motherwell Road, Bellshill.

The crimes were all committed on the same day.

Vish Kathuria, prosecuting, said a Morrisons staff member heard an alarm go off at 2am.

Someone had forced open the door of the petrol station kiosk, but nothing was stolen.

An ATM had been smashed, causing £1300 of damage.

Forensic tests linked Wilson to both incidents.

Mr Kathuria said the taxi driver was in the Tesco car park 45 minutes later when Wilson, armed with a crowbar, opened the driver’s door.

The prosecutor said: “He raised the crowbar as if he was going to hit the complainer.

“He told him it was a robbery, demanded the driver’s phone and said he was taking the car.

“Mcaulay later told police he was terrified and feared for his life. He handed over his phone and made his way towards a Tesco employee who was outside the store, having a cigarette.

“They watched the accused drive off at speed.”

The vehicle was recovered a mile away and a dog walker found the cabbie’s phone.

Mr Kathuria said a Mini was stolen from outside a house in Motherwell Road at 9.30pm.

Wilson sneaked into a porch, grabbed the car keys from a jacket and took the vehicle.

A neighbour saw him reverse out of the driveway, crash into another car and drive off.

The Mini, worth more than £8000, was found abandoned and badly damaged in another part of Bellshill.

The crowbar used in the taxi hijacking was inside.

Defence agent Diarmid Bruce said Wilson has “fragile mental health”, which runs in his family, and addiction issues with cocaine and valium.

Shortly before these crimes he had been told he was no longer getting access to his two children.

Mr Bruce told the court: “He was devastated and behaved in this appalling way.

“He thought jail was as good a place to be as anywhere.”

Sheriff Thomas Millar reduced Wilson’s prison sentence from 30 months to 22 because of his guilty pleas. It was backdated to February 28 as he has been in custody since then.