Masked raider gets chance to avoid jail

36-year-old took part in robbery to pay drug debt

A serial criminal who carried out a masked raid on a Perthshire Spar shop, escaping with hundreds of pounds worth of tobacco products, has been given a chance to stay out of jail.

Thirty-six-year-old Darryl Pollock, who took part in the robbery to help pay off a drug debt, had his sentence deferred this week until May 6.

He had been warned at an earlier court hearing to expect a prison sentence.

But Sheriff Gillian Wade has called for an assessment to determine whether a Drug Treatment and Testing Order (DTTO) could be imposed instead.

She told Pollock: “Be in no doubt, this is the sort of offending which would normally attract a custodial sentence.

“You are at the custodial threshold but have never served a jail term.

“I am going to consider alternatives in this particular case.”

The court heard that DNA, found on a rope used at the scene of the well-planned break-in at the Spar outlet, in Main Street, Inchture, led to Pollock’s arrest.

He was then linked to a much bigger raid at another tobacconist in Fife.

He pled guilty to stealing almost £6500 worth of alcohol, cigarettes, cigars, cigarette papers and filters, as well as tobacco pouches, from a shop in Main Street, Leuchars, owned by Gillian McKay, on February 28, 2019.

Then, with in an hour, he had struck again - this time helping himself to hundreds of pounds worth of tobacco products from the Spar premises in Inchture, owned by Gordon Landsburgh.

But Pollock had his not guilty plea accepted to a further charge of attempting to carry out a ramraid robbery on a Co-op store in Coupar Angus.

He had been accused of reversing a Jeep Grand Cherokee into the entrance doors of the Scotmid premises in George Street, Coupar Angus, on February 21, 2019.

A third charge of stealing a number plate from a house in Fern Place, Leuchars, on February 27 or 28, was also admitted.

A co-accused, 29-year-old Stephen Gray, of Crosshill, Lochgelly, had his not guilty plea to all charges accepted by the Crown and he walked free from the court.

Depute fiscal Eilidh Robertson said the number plate was stolen from a car parked at a residential property in Leuchars, just a couple of streets away from the tobacconist, and put on the front of Pollock’s vehicle.

It was then used to drive a group of unnamed people to the two shops.

The false number plate meant it took police longer to track him down.

The keyholder of the store was alerted about 1.30am after the alarm was activated.

Pollock and two others were caught on CCTV but depute fiscal Ms Robertson revealed: “They were in the shop for less than four minutes.

“Clearly it was a wellorganised job.”

The same group then targeted the Spar store in Inchture, using the same vehicle, within 30-60 minutes of carrying out the first robbery.

A gemmy was used to force open the front door and, again, tobacco products, this time valued at £850, were stolen.

A rope was also found tied to the front door and Pollock’s DNA was found on it.

Police later obtained a search warrant for his home in Ardshiel Avenue, Edinburgh.

Although none of the stolen property was found, officers seized items of clothing, including a balaclava, which matched that worn by Pollock, as well as a sack.

Defence lawyer Richard Gray told the court that after his father died in 2017, Pollock got himself into debt with his drug supplier and had been threatened with a hammer.

“He knows he has caused significant anxiety and loss to the victims of these crimes and he’s deeply remorseful.”

The accused, who has mental health and physical problems, was also now the primary carer for his mother.

Deferring sentence for what she described as an “onerous” DTTO, Sheriff Wade warned him if he got into further trouble in the interim, “all bets are off.”