Man jailed for string of Glasgow post office raids

A cocaine addict who staged four terrifying raids on post offices in four days was jailed for seven and a half years today.

Thomas McGarva left one distressed woman victim describing her struggle with him as "fighting for her life".

McGarva targeted lone woman employees in three of the premises where he made off with cash but at the fourth three men working at the post office fought back and he fled empty-handed.

A judge told McGarva at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You pled guilty to four charges of assault and robbery or attempted robbery of four post office premises within a period of four days in January this year."

Lady Scott told him it had been a planned course of conduct and added: "You went armed with and used weapons, including a knife and hammer and you caused significant psychological harm."

The judge said she would have jailed McGarva, who was previously imprisoned for robbery, for 10 years but for his guilty pleas.

Unemployed McGarva, formerly of St Leonards Road, East Kilbride, first struck on January 6 at the Post Office in Main Street, Glenboig, in Lanarkshire, when he attacked Francine Wladysiuk (56) and robbed her of almost pounds 1800 and stamps.

He ran in wearing a high vis jacket and was waving an object that looked like a gun wrapped in plastic. He pushed his victim as she tried to reach for a panic button.

She managed to open the till but also pressed the button at the same time before he snatched cash and fled, leaving the victim shaking and feeling sick.

McGarva carried out his next raid on the Premier Express store and post office in Busby Road, Clarkston, in Glasgow, the following day.

Three men, Rhowan Bagri (26) Sukhchen Singh Atwal (66) and Gulab Singh (38) were working in the premises when McGarva came in and asked for a form. He demanded money but Mr Bagri blocked him getting behind the counter.

McGarva pulled out an item looking like a gun and struck him with it. While one of his colleagues held a door Mr Bagri got a hammer.

When the raider saw the hammer he said: "That's it, you're getting it." He pulled out a large knife and ran out the door and repeatedly tried to strike Mr Bagri and a fellow worker with the weapon.

McGarva broke through the door but as he was trying to leave the counter area Mr Singh put his arms round him and grabbed his wrist to stop him lashing out with the knife.

During the struggle McGarva struck him with the knife, causing the blade to snap off, and both men fell into shelves. Mr Bagri pressed an alarm and hit the raider on the arm with the hammer to stop him attacking Mr Singh who sustained a small cut.

Mr Singh managed to push the robber towards the exit and when he was near the door he turned and fled.

Two days later McGarva carried out a further two robberies at post offices in Fife. He turned up at High Street premises in Burntisland and told employee Maria Nawa (36) that he was from the Post Office and was there to fix the till "for health and safety reasons".

She said she would have to speak to head office and went to pick up the phone but McGarva opened tills and grabbed money. He ordered her to open a safe and warned: "Don't make a noise."

The victim, who could see he was armed with a knife, pleaded with him not to take the money as it was not hers, but he responded: "Tough luck".

McGarva grabbed banknotes from the safe and walked out the premises with pounds 6000.

A short time later he turned up at Nick's Post Office and Convenience Store, at Elphinstone Street, in Kincardine.

Rebecca Erskine was working alone in the premises and McGarva chatted to her until customers left, before jumping on the counter and stating: "Right you bitch give me everything."

He was armed with a claw hammer and swung it at her face. The victim put her hand in front of her face and grabbed the weapon. McGarva fell and she hit him with the hammer.

McGarva became angry and went round the counter, grabbed her by the hair and pushed her into shelving. During a struggle she managed to activate an alarm.

McGarva flung the victim about and pushed her into a corner as he hunted for cash. He fled with a cash box containing pounds 300, stamps and postal orders.

Police who attended found the victim in a distressed state.

McGarva was detained by police three days later and pounds 11.80 and some stamps were recovered.

Defence solicitor advocate Stephen Drymen said that McGarva had a substantial addiction to illegal drugs, particularly cocaine, over many years.

"He accepts these were serious offences committed against innocent members of the public," he said.