The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Man tells court how he chased armed robbers
Security supervisor at Gleneagles Hotel says he pursued thieves despite gun being pointed at him
A security supervisor at a top hotel chased three armed robbers moments after having a gun pointed at him for the second time, a court heard.
Euan Wishart drove after a getaway car which was being used by thieves who stole Rolex watches worth more than £500,000 from Gleneagles.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard Mr Wishart say that he pursued the robbers despite one of the thieves repeatedly pointing a weapon at him.
Describing the moment the “third” robber pointed the weapon at him for the first time, the former police officer said: “He said something along the lines of ...Call the police and I will kill you.”
However, Mr Wishart said he continued to monitor the thieves and even drove behind the getaway car when it left hotel grounds.
Mr Wishart was giving evidence on the third day of proceedings against 42-year-old Richard Fleming, of London.
Fleming denies being part of the team which carried out the robbery at the Mappin & Webb boutique at Gleneagles on June 27 last year.
Mr Wishart told jurors he was working at the hotel when he became aware Mappin & Webb was being robbed.
He said: “All three were male. They were smashing up the display cabinets in the shop with red-handled hammers.
“They were wearing Morph style suits – one piece suits which covered their faces.”
Mr Wishart said he returned to a nearby office to check whether a colleague was phoning the police.
Shortly afterwards, two robbers “pushed” past him.
He said that the third member of the team then threatened him with a gun.
Advocate depute Jane Farquharson asked him whether he recognised the accent of the robber who made the threat.
Mr Wishart replied: “It was certainly Scottish but given there was a gun pointing at me, my complete focus was on that rather than the accent. “But it was definitely Scottish.” Mr Wishart said he followed the armed robbers outside the hotel.
He said he was trying to get the registration plate of the Audi car which they got into.
The man with the gun then lowered a window of the car and threatened him for a second time.
He added: “He was pointing the firearm at me. He said...Follow us and I will kill you’ or ‘follow us and you’re dead,’ that sort of thing.
“I put my hands up to show that I was non threatening and I was backing off.”
Mr Wishart then told the court that as the car drove off, he got into a Mercedes car and gave chase.
However, he lost sight of the vehicle. He later found it abandoned a short distance away.
Mr Wishart added: “Efforts had been made to pour some substance over the car. The substance was starting to bubble and foam.
“The substance was on the doors of the car.”
The court heard that the robbery took place shortly after 11am.
Detective Constable Andrew Rae, 47, told the court that he arrived at the spot where the car had been abandoned approximately an hour later.
He said a colleague opened the door to the car and they found a “small sledgehammer” on a passenger seat.
Describing the car, DC Rae added: “There was a pretty strong smell like a cleaning agent from it.”
Fleming denies armed robbery, attempting to pervert the course of justice and housebreakings in St Andrews on June 12 2017.
The trial, before judge Lady Carmichael, continues.
Given there was a gun pointing at me, my complete focus was on that rather than the accent. But it was definitely Scottish. EUAN WISHART