A pair from Fife have been jailed after admitting a brazen early-morning robbery of a teenage student in Cowdenbeath.
Gary Crawford and Shannon Catterall pounced on their teenage victim minutes after his father had dropped him off to get the bus to college.
While Crawford attacked him, Catterall rifled through his pockets, stealing a wallet containing bank cards and £80 in cash.
Convicted killer Crawford kept the student in a stranglehold even when another witness arrived at the bus stop.
He has been on remand since the May 2 2023 attack and could be seen weeping as he attended the Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court hearing via a video link from HMP Perth.
Both he and Catterall – who is also already serving time behind bars – were given further prison sentences.
Bus stop attack
Fiscal depute Christine Allan explained Catterall, 28, of Headwell Avenue in Dunfermline, was unemployed at the time of the attack and had previous convictions for assault to injury.
Crawford, 42, was working as a groundsman and his criminal record included a culpable homicide conviction from 1999.
Ms Allan explained the student had been dropped at the bus stop on Stuart Place, outside Cowdenbeath‘s Junction Bar, at 7.15am.
He had wireless earphones in but became aware of a large puff of smoke in his peripheral vision.
Both accused were there and asked him to phone them a taxi to Lochgelly.
He took his phone out but told them the taxi firms were closed and a bus would arrive soon.
Crawford approached him from behind, placed him in a headlock and dragged him to the ground while Catterall began rummaging through his pockets.
Crawford told his terrified victim: “I’ve got a knife to your throat so don’t move.”
The witness who arrived was told: “He is due us money.”
Crawford kicked his victim on the head five or six times before running off.
Head kicks mean jail time
Both accused admitted assault and robbery.
Solicitor Zander Flett, appearing for Catterall, said: “Sadly, she is somebody who had a fairly significant problem with drugs.
“That is something which escalated.
“She also has issues with her mental health.
“By the time of this offence, things were spiralling.”
Mr Flett explained his client is currently serving a 12-month sentence for offending towards police.
Chris Sneddon, appearing for crack and heroin addict Crawford, said: “He has a long-standing drug addiction.
“Since he’s been in custody… he informs he’s been drug-free.
“It was appalling behaviour, he accepts that.
“He understands the significant impact this will have.”
Sheriff Robert More jailed Catterall for eight months – to run concurrently to her ongoing sentence – and Crawford for 18 months, backdated to May 8 when he was first remanded.
He told Crawford: “Your involvement in this assault and robbery was much more significant.
“In particular, the repeated kicks to the complainer’s head in the course of this mean that a custodial sentence would always be imposed.”
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