Blantyre gunman, who robbed bank after telling pal he was skint, jailed

A masked gunman who robbed a bank minutes after telling a pal “I'm skint” was jailed for eight and a half years. Jason Spencer, 41, from Blantyre, walked in to the TSB bank in Main Street, Rutherglen, with a gun inside a carrier bag and ordered staff to hand over cash.

Spencer pushed customers - including an 81-year-old woman - out of the way to get to the teller positions in the branch.

He kept saying: “Give me the money and don't press any buttons,” and staff described him as holding a gun in his hand.

At the High Court in Glasgow Spencer was convicted of robbing the bank of £590 in cash on January 23 and having in his possession a firearm or an imitation firearm.

The court heard that Spencer, who has five pages of previous convictions, was released from a four years and eight month sentence in September 2017 for an armed robbery at a bookmakers across the road from the bank.

Lord Justice Clerk Lady Dorrian told Spencer: “You have an appalling record. This must have had a shocking effect on bank staff and customers.”

In evidence, Spencer claimed that the man captured on CCTV robbing the bank was not him.

He said: “That man on the CCTV footage is not wearing glasses. I always wear glasses. I can't see a thing without them.”

However, a number of police officers identified Spencer as the robber.

The court heard that Spencer fled from the scene with the stolen cash. He used his phone to order a taxi in an assumed name, but the taxi driver recognised him.

Prosecutor Duncan McPhie said: “A 61-year-old customer was so upset by the robbery that an ambulance had to be called for her.

“Just before entering the bank branch and putting on his mask Spencer chatted to a friend he met and told him: “I'm skint.”

Defence counsel Mark Moir said: “My client's position is that he was not the robber.”

Spencer showed no emotion as he was led away to begin his sentence.

• tsb
• rutherglen