Inverness Armed Robber Gets 2 Years

A 26 year old Inverness man was jailed for two years yesterday for robbing a betting shop at knifepoint.

A psychiatric report had been called for on Marco Conti, who claimed he was suffering from mental health illness when he robbed Ladbrokes premises in the city’s Hilton district on September 29 and got away with £6,320.

Defence agent Mike Chapman told the court that just weeks earlier, Conte had made an attempt on his own life and had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

He had been treated in New Craig Hospital in Inverness days before the offence was committed.

Mr Chapman said: “It would appear his mental health deteriorated after he moved from Edinburgh to Inverness and his life spiralled out of control.

“He left his job because of on-going racial harassment from fellow workers and a lack of support from his employers.

“This offence was the act of a disturbed and desperate young man from a good family in Edinburgh.

“He knows he will get a significant custodial sentence and there is nothing I can say to change that.

"But he told social workers he had no intention of using the knife but accepts no-one knew that at the time.”

At an earlier hearing last month, Conte, who is originally from East Lothian but lived in Inverness was captured on CCTV checking out the bookmaker’s shop in Hilton three times before returning in disguise to rob it at knifepoint.

Wearing a bicycle helmet and a scarf over his face, Conti got away on his black and white mountain bike with £6,320.

But a sharp-eyed policeman recognised Conte from the footage and when DNA found on the knife, the bike and the helmet matched the former Holyrood High School pupil, he was arrested 19 days later.

Conti, admitted assaulting Ladbrokes manager Robert MacPherson at his Balloan Park boomakers premises in Inverness on September 29 last year, and robbing him, armed with a knife and with his face masked.

His sentence was backdated to June 9 when he was remanded in custody.