Thief took part in Bathgate garage break-in

Dec 17 2009 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

A MAN told a court that he only broke in to a Bathgate petrol station because he was threatened by his co-accused.

Alexander McQuade and co-accused Hugh McAllister targeted the BP garage in the town’s Edinburgh Road on October 4.

Last month McAllister was jailed for six months for his role in the offence.

But when McQuade appeared at Livingston Sheriff Court last week he said he only took part after McAllister told him the last person who didn’t help him was “doused in petrol.”

Fiscal depute Alastair Learmont told the court that a neighbour living near the petrol station was woken when they heard loud banging shortly after 1am.

Mr Learmont added: “She noticed McQuade going into a Vauxhall car in the street.

“He was observed taking something big out the boot and walking to the BP service station where he was seen to meet up with McAllister.

“The witness noticed them both hitting the front door of the garage and phoned the police.

“She then saw them enter the petrol station and jump over the counter. The alarm at the premises was then set off and both accused went to leave the shop. Two police officers arrived and the co-accused was seen running towards Starlaw Crescent and McQuade was seen running down Edinburgh Road carrying a duvet cover and a crowbar.

“McQuade was seen dropping the crowbar and then jumped a fence in a garden where police officers caught him.”

The duvet cover was found to contain £337.96 of cigarettes stolen from the garage.

Last week at the court McQuade, of Paisley Road West, Glasgow, pled guilty to breaking into the garage and stealing cigarettes.

His solicitor, Peter Mullin, told the court his client had not known he would end up involved in an offence that night.

Mr Mullin added: “He had accompanied the co-accused to Livingston to drop off presents for his daughter.

“They approached the station for petrol and found it was shut. He was told by the co-accused what he wanted to do and was told what had happened to the last person who didn’t help him.

“He panicked and hoping that he would not get caught he decided, in a rather difficult situation, to accept and help.

“He accepts that he could have just run away but he was not too keen to be stranded in Bathgate without any money.”

Placing McQuade on probation for one year Sheriff Grahame Fleming said: “I intend as punishment to make it a condition of your probation to make you carry out 40 hours of community service.

“You will have noticed that your co-accused got six months imprisonment and that is because he had a much worse record.

“But if you continue on the way you are going then that could be the type of punishment you will be facing.”