Gambler jailed for four years over raids on bookies

Published on Wednesday 7 January 2009 23:58

A GAMBLER whose addiction was so strong that he could lose £600 in less than half an hour was jailed for four years yesterday for a series of robberies at bookmakers in Glasgow.

Alexander Rafferty, 43, used a claw hammer or a knife to threaten female staff at five shops in the city centre, carrying out three offences within ten minutes on the same evening.

A judge at the High Court in Edinburgh said Rafferty had caused his victims "a considerable amount of trauma" and workers were entitled to expect the law to deter such crimes.

Lord Hodge added that Rafferty would be supervised for two years at the end of his jail term, which would have been six years but for his plea of guilty. Rafferty, a pipelayer from the Glasgow area but living in Cupar, Fife, at the time, admitted five charges between 2 and 17 May last year.

In the first incident, he used a hammer to smash the screen of a Ladbrokes shop in Queen Street and screamed: "Give me the money." He snatched 380 from cash drawers and fled.

Rafferty escaped with 635 from his next raid, at a William Hill office in Argyle Street on 9 May. He grabbed a woman, by the neck and held a knife in his other hand. He threatened to stab her unless he was given cash.

The other three offences were committed between 8:10pm and 8:20pm on Saturday, 17 May at betting shops in the city.

Rafferty was traced through DNA found at the scenes, which matched his profile on police records.