Thugs who robbed man of car are caged
Victim of ordeal suffered knifepoint terror
Two thugs who robbed a man of his car at knifepoint when he returned to his vehicle following a Blantyre shopping trip have been caged.
Connor Sutherland (23) and 18-year-old Barry Glancy approached James Mcskimming after he had just got into the driver’s seat of his Volkswagen Polo near Scotmid on Stonefield Road on January 22 this year.
At Hamilton Sheriff Court last week, Sutherland was jailed for two years and three months and Glancy was given two years’ detention in a young offenders’ institution.
Mr Mcskimming had parked his car near the store. When he returned to the vehicle he noticed two males, but didn’t give them any thought.
Once inside the car, however, and having put his seatbelt on, Glancy appeared at the driver’s window and opened the door. He had a black-handled kitchen knife with a three-inch blade within his right sleeve.
Sutherland, whose face was concealed with clothing, also appeared with a knife estimated to be six inches in length.
And Sutherland told Glancy to get the car started and had made comments that “he would deal with him [Mr Mcskimming]”.
Mr Mcskimming ran to a nearby housing estate, before going home to report the matter to the police.
At 7.45pm that day, a car on the Kingsway in East Kilbride was struck from behind by a vehicle which matched the registration of Mr Mcskimming’s car.
The conditions were dark, yet the VW’S lights were not on.
The parties injured in the collision had contacted the police, who made a connection between the two calls.
Just before 8pm, officers found both accused sitting in the front seats of the VW with the keys still in the ignition.
While some officers liaised with the accused, others searched the scene and found two black-handled kitchen knives on a grassy area nearby.
Sutherland and Glancy were both taken to Hamilton Police Office. They made no reply to caution and charge and remained in custody for a court appearance.
The vehicle, which had a “recovery value” of £3000, was returned to Mr Mcskimming.
Sutherland, whose address was given as Barlinnie Prison, and Glancy, whose address was given as Polmont Young Offenders’ Institution, admitted a charge of assaulting and robbing Mr Mcskimming. Both of them had been on bail at the time.
Sutherland also admitted a charge of driving dangerously on the East Kilbride Expressway and Kingsway, East Kilbride, while on bail.
He had initially been accused of driving dangerously on a number of Blantyre streets, but had pleaded guilty to an amended charge which made no mention of them.
Sutherland’s agent told Sheriff Vincent Smith that his client was realistic about the sentence, but was genuinely remorseful for his actions and appreciated that “it must have been extremely frightening and distressing for the complainer.” Sutherland, he added, had taken 20 valium tablets that day.
Sutherland lost his job in 2013 when his employers, a bricklayers, went out of business and he fell in with a group of young men and became estranged from his family.
Glancy’s solicitor said his client’s recollection of events that day had been “very limited.”
Since in custody on the matter he had discovered that his girlfriend was pregnant. The lawyer said: “He’s very concerned, but he will be as supportive as he can, albeit it is likely he will be in custody.”
Passing sentence, Sheriff Vincent Smith told them their criminal records indicated they are men of violence.
He pointed out that Sutherland had three previous convictions for assault while Glancy had two previous convictions for assault, assault to severe injury and possession of a knife, adding “quite rightly, your agents did not try to dissuade me from imposing custodial sentences.”
Sheriff Smith sentenced Sutherland to 27 months’ imprisonment on the charge of assault and robbery and six months on the charge of driving dangerously. The terms were to run concurrently.
He was also disqualified from driving for a year and four months. Glancy was sentenced to 24 months’ detention.