Businessman who used toy gun in string of raids jailed

● Insurance man turns to crime after firm went bust

A hard-up businessman who used a toy gun in a string of raids was yesterday jailed for four years.

Ross Travers turned to crime after his insurance company went bust. Travers first tried to hold up a petrol station worker – but left empty handed when she thought it was a “prank”.

The former company director then attempted to steal a guitar from a man before later snatching cash from a supermarket. The 37-year-old was later snared for the crimes which occurred in Clarkston and Busby in East Renfrewshire. Police swooped on his Busby home and discovered his DNA on a fake gun in a bedroom.

He pled guilty to robbery, two attempted robberies and behaving in a threatening manner.

Sentencing him judge Lord Mulholland told Travers, a father-of-one: “You should be ashamed of yourself. You frightened victims into handing over items and money. Your actions were deplorable.

“Many people have problems, but don’t resort to criminality.”

Lord Mulholland told Travers but for his guilty plea, he would have jailed him for six years.

The High Court in Glasgow heard Travers, had been a director of a “relatively successful” insurance firm before it folded. He turned up at service station in Clarkston two days before Christmas 2016 looking for cash. He handed over a bag to a female worker and demanded she fill it with bank notes. But the woman immediately replied no. She also reckoned a silver handgun he had was “fake”.

The court heard she thought the apparent weapon had a “tinny noise” and believed the incident was “a prank”.

Travers left when another car drove on to the forecourt.

Last March 9, he then stopped a student in nearby Busby and told him: “Give me your guitar or I will put this through your head.”

He again appeared to be holding a gun, but the victim thought it was “plastic”. The incident ended with Travers getting nothing – and shaking the man’s hand before he left.

He then headed the same day to the Co-op store in Clarkston, walked up to the till and threw down a plastic bag. Travers said: “You are going to open the till and put the money in there or else.” He escaped from the store, but he was later linked to the crimes.

The court heard a silver toy gun was later found in a box at his home. He made no comment when questioned.