The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Woman wore hat mask to rob fuel stop
Amasked Kirkcaldy woman robbed a petrol station but was caught by police a short time later at the town’s train station.
Karen Struthers, of Balfour Street in Kirkcaldy, entered the Esso garage in the town’s Abbotshall Road and went behind the counter, before demanding cash and claiming she had a weapon to a member of staff.
Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court heard the worker was finishing transferring money into a safe at 5.20am on December 22 2020 and had left £150 in the till.
Procurator fiscal depute Jamie Hilland told the court: “The accused had her hood up and was wearing a bobble hat with two eye holes cut in it, which was pulled down, obscuring her face.
“She stood close and said: ‘Give me all the notes, I have a weapon’.”
The fiscal depute said Struthers was reaching out with a plastic bag in her left hand and had her right hand in her pocket.
Mr Hilland said the employee felt “scared and panicked” and opened the till and removed £105 in notes and dropped them into the bag.
The fiscal depute said Struthers then walked out quickly and went in the direction of Kirkcaldy train station.
The employee triggered the alarm button before calling the police.
Struthers, 48, was traced by officers at the railway
station. The court heard she tried to run off but was stopped very shortly afterwards.
The fiscal depute added: “She was detained and searched for a weapon but no weapon was recovered from her.
“On being detained her reply was: ‘I only have money, that’s all I have, don’t know
why I done that. I’m in a bad place the now.’”
She was found to be holding the £105 in her right hand and police recovered the money before arresting and charging her.
Struthers pled guilty to making a demand for money, uttering a threatening remark and robbing the woman, then
in the course of her employment, at the Esso Wemyssfield service station on December 22 2020.
The court heard Struthers had no previous convictions.
Sheriff Ian Anderson adjourned sentencing until June 30 for the production of background reports.
Struthers was released on bail.