Acquittal in takeaway raid trial
Robbery accused cleared
A man accused of robbing a takeaway owner while armed with a fake shotgun has been acquitted of the crime.
Allan Fordyce was said to have robbed the China Town takeaway in Linwood with an “imitation firearm”, around 11.15pm on June 6 last year.
Prosecutors claimed Fordyce, 54, had used two metal poles, taped together, and a piece of wood wrapped in a blue plastic bag and fashioned to look like a shotgun.
The jury heard that two metal poles were found taped together, inside a blue plastic bag, along with pieces of wood, in Fordyce’s home in the town.
But he claimed the crime had actually been committed by a man named Paul McBeth, who passed away earlier this year.
A jury found the assault and robbery charge against Fordyce, who claimed he was at home at the time of the crime, not proven following a trial at Paisley Sheriff Court.
The trial had earlier heard from takeaway owner Derek Tang, who told how he confronted the robber, believing he was armed with a shotgun - and pushed the weapon away as he fought him off.
He said he shoved what he thought was a gun out of the way before grabbing a knife and a curry pot lid - and used the items to fend the person off.
Mr Tang explained: “I heard a big bang at the door. I thought there must be something wrong outside. “It was very unusual.
“I saw a guy with a big weapon, standing at the takeaway door, inside the kitchen.
“It looked like a gun. It had a double barrel and was wrapped round by a poly bag.
“It seemed metallic.
“I thought, ‘ If anything goes wrong, it’s very serious’.
“First of all, I shoved the double barrel away and the very next moment he pulled out a knife.
“I moved backwards, about a foot away from him. “I quickly grabbed my chopper, to defend myself, and a curry pot lid, to use as a shield to defend myself, for my safety.
“He wanted money. He was saying, ‘Give me your money’.
“I felt threatened but, at that point, he only wanted money.
“My wife was nearby, in the kitchen, and staff at the other side of the takeaway.
“I thought, ‘ There’s nothing I can do if something goes wrong. It’s quite life threatening’.”
In his statement to police officers, which he gave at the time, Tang said: “I knew it wasn’t a gun as I could see it was poles.”
But he said during evidence he believed it was a gun from a distance, before he got close to the robber.
He said he was “quite scared” and had tried to get the man “out as quickly as” he could.
And he said he could “guarantee” it was not McBeth who had robbed his takeaway and that he did not notice a tattoo on the robber’s right hand.