Cash-strapped gym instructor facing jail after forcing cabbie to rob Kirkcaldy bank

A hard up gym instructor sparked terror after forcing a taxi driver to rob a bank for him in Kirkcaldy.

Andrew Patrick held a gun - which later turned out to be fake - at his petrified victim before giving him a bag said to have a bomb inside.

Patrick – who pretended to be Polish – ordered the cabbie to steal cash from a Bank of Scotland branch in the town.

The victim handed over a note to staff which claimed they had only minutes to fill the bag – and that devices would go off if police were called.

The letter also claimed the driver had a bomb strapped to him.

However, when he eventually left the bank with almost £10,000, Patrick was gone.

Amid dramatic scenes, a team of armed police and an army bomb unit soon arrived.

The explosives were luckily found to be fake each consisting of little more than tubes, cotton wool and a mobile phone circuit board.

Patrick was later snared following a high profile media appeal although initially denied being involved.

But, the 40 year-old is now behind bars after he today admitted to a charge of assault and robbery.

Patrick will learn his fate when he is sentenced next month.

• Local News