Teenager given 21 months for his part in break-in

COURT: Masked men stole safe from caravan park in ‘well-planned’ raid

A court has been shown CCTV of four masked men carrying out a break-in and theft at a Fife holiday park.

The video captured the moment the raiders entered the foyer of the main reception building at Pettycur Bay caravan park just before 2am.

They entered by forcing open a fire door then two men tried to smash their way into a cash machine unsuccessfully while the other pair jumped over the reception counter into the back office.

Two of the gang knew exactly where the safe was located in the back office and dragged it out of the building.

The safe was forced open and later found discarded by a member of the public.

The £2,500 it contained had been stolen.

Brandon McMillan, 19, currently a detainee at Polmont Young Offenders Institution, appeared for sentencing at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.

He previously admitted that on July 26 2017, acting with others, he broke into the business premises of Pettycur Bay Caravan Park, Burntisland Road, Kinghorn, attempted to break into a cash machine, and stole a safe and its contents.

McMillan was caught because his DNA was found on the smashed ATM.

Defence solicitor Joe Boyd said his client had been aged just 17 at the time of the incident.

“He had been expecting to be picked up by a friend for a lift to Edinburgh,” he said.

“There were two other people in the car and it became clear what they were planning to do.

“Mr McMillan had no prior knowledge of these plans and did not know anything about the location.

“He had taken a cocktail of drugs that evening including Valium. His role in this enterprise was less than that of the others involved.”

He added that his client came from the Travelling community and had been passed from “pillar to post” in his family when he was young.

Sheriff Charles MacNair said: “This was well planned by someone who knew the layout of the premises and in particular how to find the safe.

“This was obvious from the CCTV and to use the common parlance this had all the indications of an ‘inside job’.”

The sheriff told McMillan he had a “deplorable” record for someone his age.

He imposed a 21-month custodial sentence.

At a previous hearing, another member of the gang, 28-year-old Robert Arthur, was jailed for 38 months for his part in the break-in.

Picture: Kris Miller. Pettycur Bay Holiday Park was targeted in the raid.