A store employee who confronted down an armed robber brandishing a ‘sensible’ imitation firearm was yesterday praised by a Sheriff for her bravery.
Lord Scott praised Cheryl Gourlay’s braveness after watching footage of Robert Danskin attempting to rob a store in Dunfermline, Fife.
The Excessive Court docket in Edinburgh heard how the 36-year-old walked into the store sporting a balaclava brandishing a weapon described in courtroom by prosecutor Anna Chishoim as a ‘sensible’ imitation gun.
She additionally mentioned it regarded ‘indistinguishable’ from an actual gun.
Danskin demanded workers member Cheryl Gourlay fill a bag with cash earlier than leaping over a counter and assaulting her.
However Ms Gourlay put herself in entrance of the until and refused to conform along with his requests.
Robert Danskin brandished a reproduction firearm in the course of the tried raid in Dunfermline
Danskin leapt over-the-counter with the duplicate gun however employee Cheryl Gourlay fought again
The tried theft befell at a Nisa retailer in Dunfermline, Fife
Ms Chisholm mentioned: ‘Cheryl Gourlay instructed him he wasn’t getting cash.’
She then shouted to her colleagues who got here dashing to her assist.
The courtroom was then performed footage of the incident which had been captured on CCTV cameras.
Lord Scott noticed colleagues run over to the counter and one workers member wrestle the pistol out of Danskin’s hand while punching him.
His colleagues pulled Danskin’s balaclava off his head, wrestled him to the bottom and restrained him there till the police arrived to arrest him.
The courtroom heard that Danskin had a conviction for the same offence in 2007.
Lord Scott to defer sentence, including: ‘I’m inclined to name for stories. However the true bravery of quite a few people who intervened, this should have been a terrifying incident by which nobody aside from the accused was conscious that this wasn’t an actual firearm.’
The story emerged after Danskin, additionally of Dunfermline, pleaded responsible to assaulting Cheryl Gourlay while sporting a masks on his face.
The cost to which Danskin admitted states that he acted aggressively while demanding cash and brandishing an imitation firearm at her.
He additionally admitted to seizing and pulling her on the physique while trying to rob her of cash.
Ms Chisholm instructed the courtroom that following his arrest, Danskin instructed officers that he wasn’t a ‘unhealthy individual’. She mentioned that he was in debt to drug sellers and was involved that he and his associate have been going to be harmed by them.
She added: ‘He mentioned “me and my girlfriend have a £1,000 crack debt. In a a bizarre approach I needed to get caught so I might to jail and be protected there”.’
Ms Chisholm additionally instructed the courtroom that cops examined the firearm and located that that it was an Airsoft gun – Airsoft is a recreation much like paintball.
The advocate depute mentioned the gun had initially been lined in blue paint to maintain it in step with firearms laws.
She added: ‘Nevertheless it has been eliminated in some unspecified time in the future. This offers it the look of a practical imitation firearm.’
Ms Chisholm additionally mentioned that it in look it regarded ‘indistinguishable’ from an actual firearm.
Defence solicitor advocate Ann Ogg requested Lord Scott to defer sentence.
She added: ‘Your lordship could also be minded to name for a report.’
Lord Scott agreed and instructed Danskin that he had dedicated a ‘terrifying offence.’
He shall be sentenced on the Excessive Court docket in Glasgow subsequent month.
