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Man avoids jail over attempted ATM theft at Ballynahinch forecourt

Linda Stewart — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 09:30:33 +0000

A County Antrim man has avoided jail over his role in the attempted theft of a cash machine from a petrol station in Ballynahinch, County Down.

The incident happened on the Belfast Road in November 2019.

Adrian Boyd, 29, of Glenville Mews, Newtownabbey, was handed a three-year prison sentence suspended for three years.

He pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting burglary and criminal damage to Carlisles’ petrol station.

Prosecutor Laura Ivers told Downpatrick Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, that at 05:00 GMT on Monday 18 November 2019, two men stole a trailer from Ballynahinch before hitching it on to a silver Volkswagen Passat car and driving it towards the town centre.

About 10 minutes later, the same car was caught on CCTV leaving a quarry with a 20-tonne stolen digger.

“The vehicles then travelled 200 yards to Carlisles’ fresh foods filling station on the Belfast Road,” Ms Ivers told Judge Geoffrey Miller KC.

“The digger was used to ram the cash machine on the forecourt.

“After 30 attempts to break free the cash machine, the offenders then used the digger to open the main doors to the shop.

“Two males entered the premises and opened a cigarette cabinet and tills.

“They took scratch cards to the value of £1,829, tobacco worth £3,777.45 and £975 in cash.”

The court heard that as the vehicles fled the scene, the digger crashed into the forecourt canopy, which collapsed and struck a passing vehicle.

The digger was abandoned at a quarry and the Passat was later reported to be on fire in the Queen’s Park area of Saintfield.

Ms Ivers told the court, that at 11:00, Boyd was observed in the passenger seat of a taxi by police officers who were conducting traffic duties at the Saintfield/Ballynahinch Road junction.

“Police made observations about his appearance and decided to search him and found 38 scratch cards on his person,” said the prosecutor.

Boyd was arrested and remained silent throughout his police interviews.

Detectives discovered the scratch cards had been issued to Carlisles’.

The court heard “extensive damage” was caused to the filling station totalling £821,295 and the loss to the business was £64,811.

Ms Ivers said Boyd was identified as the person who bought the Passat car from messages on his Facebook page.

Defence counsel Greg Berry KC said it was accepted that Boyd was not present at the time of the filling station burglary and only provided the car for the gang.

Judge Millar said Boyd was the only person to date who has been prosecuted over the burglary.

“This was a very serious burglary which is apparent from the depositions and photographs and the loss and damage caused in this criminal enterprise was huge,” the judge said.

“It was a carefully planned operation which the owner of the petrol station could do little to guard against.

“The Passat was bought as a getaway vehicle which the defendant says was his role.

“The fact that 38 scratch cards were found on his person just a matter of hours after the ram raid shows that he was closely involved in the operation.”

Judge Millar said Boyd had 33 previous convictions on his criminal record including six for burglary and two criminal damage offences.

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Man claiming to be armed with gun escapes with cash from Armagh petrol station

Linda Stewart — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 09:27:32 +0000

A man made off from a Co Armagh petrol station with cash after claiming to be armed with a gun during a robbery incident.

Police said the incident took place at the service station in the Moy Road area of Armagh during the afternoon of Thursday September 1.

The man is understood to have demanded cash from staff at the station before making off and was then seen getting into a black jeep vehicle after leaving the petrol station.

A PSNI appeal was issued following the incident.

PSNI Inspector Mills said: “At approximately 4.35pm we received a report that a man, claiming to be armed with a gun had entered the premises and threatened staff.

“He demanded that they hand over cash before making off.

“The man is described as being approximately six feet tall, of thin build and spoke with a local accent.

“He was wearing a navy coloured coat, black jogging bottoms and a snood.

“He was seen getting into a black Shogun jeep, with a wheel on the back with no rear license plate and the front one taped up.

“I would appeal to anyone who may have witnessed the incident, have any footage or information that could assist with enquiries, to contact police on101 quoting reference 724 of 02/09/22.”

Reports can also be made via the PSNI’s non-emergency reporting form. Information can also be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.

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New Asda owners ditch plans to fold its forecourts into their filling station empire

Linda Stewart — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 11:05:37 +0000

The billionaire brothers who took over Asda earlier this year have abandoned a £750 million plan to fold the company’s petrol forecourts into their filling station empire.

Asda and the EG Group said they had decided to terminate the deal on Monday after new information came to light.

The deal was first agreed in February, but it was not until June that the two companies could start sharing commercial information.

Neither side revealed what had caused the change of heart, but said that something in this information had sparked a rethink.

“This allowed Asda and EG Group’s teams to start sharing commercial information relating to EG’s acquisition of the Asda forecourt business which had not been previously possible and has resulted in several changes to the financial evaluation of the proposed transaction,” Asda and EG said.

“As a result, EG and Asda have decided they will no longer proceed with the transaction.”

Forecourt giants

The Issa brothers, Zuber and Mohsin, made their money through the EG Group, a petrol station business that has 6,000 sites in the UK and Europe.

They were catapulted into the public eye last year after launching, and later winning, a £6.8 billion takeover of Asda.

They teamed up with private equity firm TDR Capital to buy the retailer from US giant Walmart.

The deal that would have seen Asda’s forecourts bought by EG Group was cancelled on Monday, but the two companies still plan to work together.

Asda’s on the move range will be rolled out across EG’s forecourts in the UK.

New ASDA stores

It will establish 28 new Asda convenience stores at EG’s forecourts this year, and reach 200 next year.

EG said: “These plans remain unchanged, and the company continues to anticipate synergies as a result of its growing relationship with Asda.”

Asda added: “Asda will retain the petrol forecourts business and the associated revenue and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation).

“The forecourts have been an important footfall driver to the business, supported by its position as a price leader in the supermarket fuel sector.”

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