This Is Guernsey

GLENN BAIN, who threatened to kill a woman shop assistant in a blundered robbery for a packet of cigarettes, has been sent to prison for four years. The 28-year-old Scotsman, who moved to Guernsey in 2005, pleaded guilty in the Royal Court to robbing the petrol forecourt at Les Merriennes, St Martin’s, on 15 July.

He also admitted obtaining property by deception, failing to surrender to bail, two counts of taking a motor vehicle, two of driving while disqualified and two of driving without third party insurance.

Deputy Bailiff Richard Collas said the robbery was the most serious of all the offences.

‘You have expressed shame for your offences, which we have taken account of, and you say you committed them during a difficult period in your life, but the court is concerned about the number of serious offences committed by you in such a short period - most of them while at large having failed to surrender to bail,’ he said.

‘The robbery is the most serious offence before us and the fact you openly carried a knife into the shop is a serious aggravating factor.’

The court heard that Bain, who was wearing a grey hoodie, attracted the attention of shop assistant Marialena Rabaiotti by acting suspiciously when he pulled up in a grey Ford Fiesta.

Bain entered the shop, demanding she open the till. The assistant refused and Bain threatened to kill her.

When she said to him: ‘Go on then’, he became agitated, went behind the counter, grabbed a packet of cigarettes and ran out to the car.

The shop assistant pursued Bain and saw that there was a knife, about nine inches long, on the seat.

Bain shouted at her and sped off.

Her bravery was commended by Mr Collas.

CCTV footage obtained by police later revealed that Bain had openly carried a knife while in the shop.

He was arrested the day after the robbery for failing to surrender to bail for obtaining two Subutex tablets, used for treating narcotic dependence, from Admiral Pharmacy.

He was asked by the girlfriend of an addict, who was at the time in police custody, to collect the drugs from the pharmacy by posing as the man named on the prescription.

Upon his arrest, Bain was questioned about the robbery and shown CCTV footage and a drawing of the robber.

He admitted taking from the Odeon car park on 11 July the car used in the robbery and driving it on several occasions without a licence or third party insurance.

He also admitted having taken a blue Fiesta from Monument Road, St Peter Port, on 7 July and driving it without a licence or third party insurance. He had been disqualified from driving for a year from 8 January 2007.

On both occasions he smashed a window to gain entry to the car, broke the steering lock and hot-wired the vehicle. Both were found in the car park at Grange Lodge Hotel.

He did not admit the robbery until later.

Advocate Andrew Ayres, representing Bain, asked that his client be given credit for his guilty pleas and saving police time in providing details about his actions in taking the cars.

He said it was not an opportune robbery, but badly planned.

‘There was a lack of planning and sophistication. That is possibly why it turned to be such a blundered robbery,’ said Advocate Ayres.

Article posted on 9th January, 2008 - 12.00am