Man who held up Tollcross shop before committing 'catalogue of driving mayhem' jailed
A desperate man who tried to raise the cash needed to settle a personal debt by holding up a shop with a sawn off air rifle has been jailed for six years.
A desperate man who tried to raise the cash needed to settle a personal debt by holding up a shop with a sawn off air rifle has been jailed for six years.
Mark Wright,24, threatened shopkeeper Hammad Arshad with the weapon during a raid at the Convenience Store in Wellshot Road in Tollcross, Glasgow, on January 25 2016.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Wright - who was masked during the raid - escaped from the shop with a sum of money in the "three figures.".
He then tried to evade arrest by driving dangerously through the streets of the city.
He drove a silver Vauxhall Astra at speeds of 70 miles per hour in wet conditions in residential areas of Parkhead and Bridgeton which had 30 mph speed limits.
Highly trained police drivers - who were given the task of pursuing Wright - looked on in horror as the crook ignored five red lights and drove the wrong way up a one way street.
Wright, a prisoner of HMP Addiewell in West Lothian, was eventually caught. But only after he drove onto the opposite side of the road and collided with a traffic light pole and a parked van.
On Tuesday, temporary judge Paul Arthurson QC told Wright that he had no other option but to send him to prison.
He told Wright: "This was a planned robbery on a targeted store. You offences can fairly be described as a catalogue of driving mayhem which I categorise as being at the upper end of the scale of offending under the statutory provision.
"Your driving was reckless and highly dangerous."
Wright, originally of Sandyhills, Glasgow, pleaded guilty at the city's high court last month to robbery, dangerous driving and breaching the Firearms Act.
Sentence had been deferred to the High Court in Edinburgh for the court to obtain reports about his character.
On Tuesday, defence advocate Euan Dow told the court that his client had owed money to another man.
This man, who wasn't named in court, had approached Mr Wright at his work and threatened him with violence if he didn't repay the money.
Mr Dow told the court that his client was concerned for his safety and so decided to rob the shop.
The lawyer said: "The accused found himself to be in a desperate situation. This is what caused him to commit this offence."
Passing sentence, judge Arthurson referred to the CCTV footage of the robbery which was shown on the last occasion Wright appeared in court.
He added: "The incident was of short duration but I have no doubt that it will have an enduring and traumatic effect upon the shop owner who was your victim.
"Of particular concern to this court is the presentation by you of weapons in the course of this crime."
Judge Arthurson also disqualified Wright from driving for six years. He also ordered that Wright would have to sit his driving test when his ban expires in July 2022.