Nwicker60
19-Aug-14, 16:33
Accused presented holdall and ordered staff to "fill it!"
Eric Edmondson came up with a solution to his money troubles....he planned to rob a sub-post office.
But he lost his nerve after an assistant pressed the alarm button and he "legged it"empty-handed.
The sheriff at Wick heard of the bungled robbery bid when Edmondson appeared and admitted on indictment attempting to hold up the P.O.
The 57-year-old entered the office in the town's Smith Terrace, around 11am, on November 8, last year, carrying a black holdall and a jacket wrapped round his left hand giving the impression of a concealed weapon. He presented the holdall to the two assistants and ordered them to "fill it"
The would-be robber confirmed what he was after, in a single word -"money!".
David Barclay, prosecuting, said that the assistants refused to comply with the order and one of them pressed the alarm button.
Mr Barclay continued: "The accused immediately realised that there was nothing to be gained from his endeavour and fled from the office."
The police were contacted and with the help of witness descriptions circulated on the social media tracked Edmondson down. He told police that he had been without benefit payments for a month and it had prompted him to consider the robbery after pondering on it during "a sleepless night"..
Mr Barclay said that Edmondson, of 2 Caberfeidh Court, Wick, told officers he was desperate for money and had been "getting by" only with charity food parcels handouts.
One of the assistants, Susan Sinclair was pregnant at the time and had understandably experienced "severe stress and trauma" .
Sheriff Andrew Berry continued the case until September 16 for a background report and warned Edmondson, who has a record, that such a serious crime could well attract a prison sentence. He since secured employment as a bus driver.
Eric Edmondson came up with a solution to his money troubles....he planned to rob a sub-post office.
But he lost his nerve after an assistant pressed the alarm button and he "legged it"empty-handed.
The sheriff at Wick heard of the bungled robbery bid when Edmondson appeared and admitted on indictment attempting to hold up the P.O.
The 57-year-old entered the office in the town's Smith Terrace, around 11am, on November 8, last year, carrying a black holdall and a jacket wrapped round his left hand giving the impression of a concealed weapon. He presented the holdall to the two assistants and ordered them to "fill it"
The would-be robber confirmed what he was after, in a single word -"money!".
David Barclay, prosecuting, said that the assistants refused to comply with the order and one of them pressed the alarm button.
Mr Barclay continued: "The accused immediately realised that there was nothing to be gained from his endeavour and fled from the office."
The police were contacted and with the help of witness descriptions circulated on the social media tracked Edmondson down. He told police that he had been without benefit payments for a month and it had prompted him to consider the robbery after pondering on it during "a sleepless night"..
Mr Barclay said that Edmondson, of 2 Caberfeidh Court, Wick, told officers he was desperate for money and had been "getting by" only with charity food parcels handouts.
One of the assistants, Susan Sinclair was pregnant at the time and had understandably experienced "severe stress and trauma" .
Sheriff Andrew Berry continued the case until September 16 for a background report and warned Edmondson, who has a record, that such a serious crime could well attract a prison sentence. He since secured employment as a bus driver.