Man escapes carjackers by driving at police vehicle

Published on Friday 22 May 2009 23:38

THE victim of a carjacking managed to escape after driving at a police car and sounding his horn, a court yesterday heard.

Two men had jumped into Andrew Robertson's car and a gun was put to his head. He was ordered to drive to his home to collect money, but headed instead to a local police station.

His escape plan proved unnecessary, however, when he saw a patrol car and was able to alert the it. With his captors' attention diverted, Mr Robertson, 56, fled from his car and shouted a warning that they had a gun.

One of the men began to pull the weapon from his waistband, and, despite fearing he was about to be shot, an officer disarmed the gunman by repeatedly hitting him with a baton.

Alan Lynn, 25, and Robert Blakeway, 27, both from Bellshill, Lanarkshire, admitted abducting, assaulting and robbing Mr Robertson in Motherwell on 24 January. They will be sentenced next month.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Mr Robertson had taken his dog for a walk in Strathclyde Park that Saturday afternoon, and stopped his silver Ford Fiesta at lights at Hamilton Road, Motherwell.

The two accused approached. The driver's window was slightly down and Blakeway asked: "Where do I get the bus?" Mr Robertson did not understand what had been said, and asked him to repeat it.

Lynn, with a hood up and a scarf hiding his face, got in the front passenger seat and put a handgun against Mr Robertson's temple, pressing his head against the window.

"Mr Robertson was terrified and assumed the firearm was real," said the advocate-depute, Derick Nelson.

Blakeway got into the rear seat, and Lynn demanded the victim's wallet. Mr Robertson handed over money totalling 17.51, and was able to hide his wallet.

He said it was at home, and he was told to drive there, tell his wife the men were friends and to retrieve his wallet. He said he lived in Windmillhill Street, knowing that was the address of Motherwell police station.

On the journey, Lynn kept the gun between his legs. The two men shared a cigarette and the butt was dropped on the floor of the car. It was later found to have DNA from both of them. Also, Blakeway took a pair of gloves belonging to Mr Robertson's wife, and put them on.

As the car turned into Windmillhill Street, Blakeway exclaimed: "The polis station's up there, where do you stay?"

Mr Robertson said his house was beyond the police station. Lynn forced the gun into Mr Robertson's side.

"By this stage, he was so terrified that he had in mind the idea of driving the car straight through the front door of the police station," said Mr Nelson.

"As Mr Robertson approached a mini-roundabout, he noticed a police traffic car approaching. He drove over the roundabout and accelerated towards the traffic car whilst sounding his horn. The police car had to accelerate to avoid being hit, then stopped. Mr Roberston jumped out of his vehicle and shouted, 'They've got a gun, they've just held me up.' The accused got out, and ran."

PCs Ross Halliday and Alasdair Marshall gave chase, and Blakeway was caught and restrained by PC Marshall.

Lynn reached for the handgun, which was tucked down the front of his waistband. PC Halliday ordered him to drop the gun, but he continued to pull it from his trousers.

"PC Halliday believed he was going to be shot and drew his baton, approached the accused and struck him three times to his right leg while shouting to him to drop the gun. The accused then dropped the gun and PC Halliday forced him to the ground. It was a carbon dioxide powered pistol, but it was not in working order and could not be fired," said Mr Nelson.

The court heard that Lynn had previous convictions for violence and had been given a five-year sentence in 2002 for serious assault. Blakeway had 40 convictions, but all for minor offences of dishonesty.