A man who took part in a smash and a grab raid in which a forklift was used to steal a cash machine containing more than £44,000 has been jailed.
Mccauley Barker, now 22, was 19 at the time of the audacious heist at Scotmid Foods in Torphins in 2019.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Barker, acted alongside two other men, attached chains to the cash machine then lifted it into the boot of a gold Chrysler getaway car.
However, the crime was rumbled when the vehicle broke down.
A second man, John Fenwick, 28, received a three-year sentence.
Barker was described during his sentence hearing as an unwitting collaborator who displayed a “child-like naivety” and was “not the brains” of the “deeply-flawed” operation.
He also apologised to Torphins community for the crime.
ATM smashed through doors as it was ripped from shop
Fiscal depute Lynne MacVicar told the court that Barker and his two co-accused drove more than 230 miles from his home in County Durham to Torphins in the Chrysler Voyager.
Barker was seen on CCTV at a service station in Dundee and at a Gregg’s bakery in Inverurie on the day prior to the raid.
Ms MacVicar said: “Shortly after 9am CCTV captured Broomfield and Fenwick enter the entrance vestibule and pay attention to the ATM machine.
“They made no attempt to enter the shop or purchase products or use the ATM, instead they remained inside the vestibule next to the ATM machine for one minute before leaving.
jw=qN4wjmfQ
“Various members of the public noticed the car throughout the day in surrounding areas including Monymusk, Finzean and Aboyne.”
A Manitou 626 forklift vehicle was later stolen from outside Torphins during the night and a Ford Galaxy and a Mini were taken from a property in Kincardine O’Neil.
The next morning a number of residents in the area near the Scotmid store were awoken by loud banging and the sound of the shop’s alarm.
Ms MacVicar added: “Fenwick kicked the wooden doors and entered the ATM where he and Broomfield wrapped straps around the ATM.
“The accused entered with chains and attached these to the straps.
“The forklift pulled the chains taught and managed to rip the ATM from the shop, smashing it through the wooden doors.”
The men then used the forklift to lift the ATM onto the back of the Chrysler and drove off in the direction of Kincardine O’Neil.
The vehicle was later found at the side of the road with its engine running, its boot open and the ATM lying in the road.
Barker’s DNA was found on a discarded seat from the Chrysler that had been thrown into a nearby field near the vehicle.
The ATM itself was found with all the cash – amounting to £44,310 – still inside.
Raider’s apologies to the Torphins community
Defence agent Liam McAllister described Barker as “simply a pawn” in what he called a “deeply flawed operation”.
He added: “The three men are equally responsible for this alarming crime.
“My client wishes to convey his genuine apologies to the local community.”
Mr McAllister also told the court that Barker has a “strong attachment” to his family, which he said “makes it all the more frustrating that he was led astray in this operation”.
He added: “He went out and thought he was only signing on for a couple of hours but soon learned he was taking part in something much more serious..”
Sheriff Morag McLaughlin told the 22-year-old that what he had become involved in was an “extremely serious matter”, but that she noted he had “accepted that he was equally culpable” in the crime.
She sentenced Barker, of Banff Street, Spennymoor, County Durham, to 18 months in prison backdated to August 10, 2021.
For all the latest court cases in Aberdeen, as well as the latest crime and breaking incidents, join our new Facebook group HERE.
