Five Year Sentence For Crook Who Sprayed Cashier With CS Gas
A serial criminal held up a West Lothian betting shop - because his benefit money had not arrived.
David Moran sprayed CS gas into the face of a cashier during the raid at the Ladbrokes bookmakers in Livingston.
The 30 year-old unsuccessfully tried to grab ÂŁ400 before fleeing empty handed.
A judge heard today (Thu 10th September) how Moran had only recently been freed from prison at the time of the incident in May this year.
His lawyer Ian Bryce told the High Court in Glasgow: "On the day in question, he did not receive any benefits.
"He had been without anything other than the money he was given on his release.
"He noticed that day that the Ladbrokes was empty and made the catastrophic decision to enter with the view of securing funds."
Moran was today jailed for a total of five years and five months after earlier pleading guilty to assault and attempted robbery.
The court heard how Miss Peffers' eyes were left swollen and streaming as a result of being sprayed with the CS gas.
However, she luckily suffered no lasting injury.
Moran already had a string of convictions for a host of crimes including assault with a firearm, theft and breach of the peace.
Judge Lady Rae told him he had a "bad record" for someone his age.
She said: "Staff at commercial premises are fully entitled to go about their business without interference from people like you.
"It is fortunate there was no lasting effect on the assistant. You obviously did not care if there was or not."