A pair of bungling robbers, including one who set fire to his glove while trying to light a cigarette in their victims’ living room, have been jailed.
David Aird and Lee Brown – armed with a meat cleaver and spanner, respectively – woke a couple in their Crossgates flat as they rummaged around their home.
Aird had on a motorcycle helmet and Brown was wearing a face covering.
Both were wearing hi-vis jackets, black gloves and plastic bags taped over their shoes.
Procurator fiscal depute Jamie Hilland told Dunfermline Sheriff Court previously the men kept asking for the keys to a safe and one of them told the woman if she did not give them the key they would “do something to your man’s head”.
The crooks were repeatedly told by the couple they did not own a safe, at which point one of the men said to the other they had been given the “wrong information and were in the wrong place”.
The court heard the woman thought she recognised Brown from his voice, which he was “trying to disguise by putting on an accent”.
The pair, who were under the influence of drugs at the time, stole a set of car keys and made off the wrong way in the couple’s Toyota, after making “five or six attempts” to start it.
They also stole two mobile phones.
‘Capable of inflicting extreme harm’
The robbers, both from Cowdenbeath, appeared in the dock from custody for sentencing.
Sheriff Charles Macnair told them: “This offence was extremely serious.
“You went into somebody’s house with coverings to your faces, gloves and coverings to your feet, which are a clear indication of planning.
“I do not consider this is some chaotic form of robbery, spur of the moment.
“You had with you weapons, including a meat cleaver and spanner.
“Both are capable of inflicting extreme harm, or possibly worse”.
Sheriff Macnair pointed out Brown has two convictions for robbery, including a High Court case in 2011 and other convictions since then, including an assault with a bottle and a domestic assault to injury.
He described Aird’s record as “not quite as bad”.
Sheriff Macnair sentenced Brown to 43 months and two weeks in prison, while Aird was jailed for 32 months.
They will both be subject to a 12-month supervised release order.
Heavy drug intake
Prior to sentencing the sheriff highlighted the Crown narrative of the case seemed to be “at odds” with what was written in a social work report but lawyers for both men confirmed they accepted the narrated facts.
Defence lawyer Susan Gibson, representing Brown, said her client has limited memory of the offence.
She said later that day he was taken to hospital by police and was required to be resuscitated, having taken drugs to such an extent.
The solicitor stressed his client had made life changes, including engaging with drug and alcohol counselling and gaining employment.
Aird’s lawyer, Alan Davie, said his client regrets what happened but may have downplayed the seriousness of the incident in the social work report.
He said this was, in part, because of the impact on his memory due to drug misuse on the day and a stroke suffered in December 2020, as well as the fact no one was physically hurt and one of the victims said they were not scared.
Mr Davie said his client perhaps failed to appreciate how frightening his actions could have been.
The solicitor described the conduct of the robbery itself as “shambolic”.
Bungled robbery
The court heard previously the robbery took place at a property in Droverhall Avenue at around 7am on May 22 2019.
Fiscal depute Mr Hilland said at one point during the incident, while in the living room, Brown “tried to light a cigarette and managed to set fire to his own glove”.
Mr Hilland added: “He then asked (the man) to light a cigarette for him”.
The fiscal said the woman also referred to Brown as “Lee” and told him she thought she knew him but he denied knowing who she was talking about.
The court heard the woman was friends with Aird’s partner and knew both Aird and Brown through her, though not particularly well.
Aird, 50, of Broad Street and Brown, 34, of Woodside, previously pled guilty to the same charge.
They admitted assaulting the couple and threatening the man with violence while in possession of a meat cleaver and spanner and robbing them of their mobile phones, a set of car keys and a car.
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