INVERNESS SHERIFF COURT: Armed robber hid stolen cash under bathroom floorboards after targeting visitor information centre in Lairg
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A 48-YEAR-OLD man who staged an armed robbery at his local visitor centre terrified the sole staff member by brandishing a metal weapon over her head.
James Daly, now of Millburn Road, Inverness but who lived in Ord Place, Lairg on October 1, 2021 wore a scarf to mask his face. But a brave customer photographed him on a mobile phone and along with his distinctive clothing, Brady was arrested by police later that day.
Inverness Sheriff Court heard that Daly told the woman behind the counter that he was not local after raiding the till and taking some notes, totalling £140.
He had been in the information office just 30 minutes earlier and signed the track and trace Covid book with the name of his friend, Ian Anderson, before returning wearing the same clothing to rob the facility at 12.15pm.
Fiscal depute Robert Weir told Sheriff Eilidh Macdonald that Daly brandished a wrench or a crowbar or similar instrument at the woman and demanded she open the till while two customers were in the shop.
“He grabbed a money bag containing about £55 in charity cash and then some notes from the till. He said: ‘that will do for starters’. But he dropped the bag, picked it up again and said: ‘By the way, I am not local’.
“He was eventually traced to his flat and police recovered £130 in notes from under the bathroom floorboards.”
Defence solicitor Laura-Jane McFarlane said that her client, who admitted assault and robbery, was in a rehab programme and has not offended since.
Sheriff Macdonald decided to call for a background report and Daly was bailed until July 22 for sentencing.
