Corner shop thief given three-year sentence

A thief who jemmied his way into a corner shop before almost running down a policeman in a getaway van loaded with cigarettes and tobacco has been jailed for nearly three years.

Mark Bratchie, 30, was one of a gang of four who forced their way into the Spar store in Main Street, Thornton, Fife, with their faces masked, at 2.50am on October 7 2019.

Falkirk Sheriff Court heard a white van was seen again at around 4.20am a few miles away in Crosshill, Fife, when it passed police at high speed.

An officer in the dog unit, who was standing at the roadside, made “clear hand signals” for it to stop, but it did not do so, passing him by less than 12 inches at an estimated speed of 60mph in a 30mph limit.

It then headed towards Navitie Park in Ballingry, Fife.

Officers followed it, and saw Bratchie running away towards residential gardens, where he was arrested. A builder’s bag was found nearby.

Prosecutor Samantha Brown said it was “full” of cigarettes and tobacco products. More cigarettes and packets of rolling tobacco were found in the van – which also turned out to have been fitted with false plates.

Ms Brown said that as he was being detained, Bratchie bit the finger of PC Ross Smith, drawing blood.

Bratchie’s phone was seized and was found to have a message sent to an associate about 5.30pm before the raid, reading “Might do job. Might make a few grand. Fancy it?”

At 3.45am he was found to have sent another message – this time to his girlfriend – reading, “Just done job. Plenty fags”.

Ms Brown, the depute fiscal, said it also later transpired that Bratchie, who had been at the wheel of the van, was a disqualified driver.

Appearing by video link from Perth Prison, Bratchie, from Hill of Beath, Fife, pled guilty to theft by breaking and entry; dangerous driving; driving while disqualified and without insurance; and police assault.

Solicitor Zander Flett, defending, said Bratchie had not been aware he had bitten PC Smith until after the incident.

Mr Flett said: “At the time he had been seized by two police officers and was being bitten by a police dog.”

Sheriff Derek Hamilton jailed Bratchie for 34 months, and disqualified him from driving for a further 10 years.