George Nicol and David Fowler admit failed ATM ram-raid
- Published
Two men have admitted theft and firearms charges over a failed ram-raid robbery at an ATM in South Lanarkshire.
George Nicol, 37, and David Fowler, 27, stole a sewage tanker in East Kilbride before attempting to smash the HSBC ATM in Blantyre on 20 October 2012.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how they were caught after being chased by police in a getaway car which contained a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition.
Judge Lord Glennie deferred sentence on the pair until later this month.
The court heard how the pair stole the tanker from DPG Plus in East Kilbride at about 11:54 on 19 October.
CCTV footage
CCTV footage was shown in court of the lorry being driven into offices of HSBC in Blantyre the following night.
After the ram-raid failed, the pair took turns to hit the ATM with a sledge hammer before giving up and fleeing the scene in a Skoda Octavia which had false registration plates.
The car later crashed in Blantyre as it was chased by police. Officers arrested the pair after a short pursuit on foot.
During a search of the Octavia police found five shotgun cartridges, a sawn-off shotgun, a quantity of tools, knives and a pair of number plates.