Dale Thomas: Edinburgh man commits robbery weeks after leaving prison

A hapless robber who lost an ear in a prison murder bid fled empty-handed after a failed raid weeks after he was released from behind bars.

Dale Thomas, 29, returned to crime after serving three jail sentences for assault and robbery but was caught within minutes by police who spotted him driving a car he stole the previous day.

The serial offender went into a Scotmid store in the Capital's Boswall Parkway on April 6 this year and threatened to stab an employee after declaring: “This is a robbery.”

But store supervisor Liam Inglis secured the till and hit a panic alarm before Thomas could get to it.

Thomas told the employee: “Open the till, open the till or I’ll stab you.” Mr Inglis refused and the raider punched him in the face before they got into a struggle.

The thug, formerly of Broomhouse Loan, then fled from the shop despite a customer trying to block his way.

He got into a black Honda Civic and made his getaway but police officers on foot patrol noted the car’s registration number as it drove off at speed.

Advocate depute Bill McVicar told the High Court in Edinburgh: “The officers then attended the locus and found the store to be in a state of disarray and Liam Inglis with minor facial injuries. They circulated the description of the Honda Civic via the police radio network.”

Minutes later plain clothes officers saw the vehicle in the Granton area and watched it on its journey before Thomas pulled over in Royston Mains Place.

The prosecutor said: “The police officers stopped their vehicle in front of the Honda Civic thus preventing it from being able to drive away.” Thomas was the sole occupant of the car.

He had stolen the car and keys from a house in a quiet residential street in the city’s Craigentinny area on April 5 along with a mobile phone.

Mr McVicar said he was caught on CCTV footage searching the kitchen and living room at the house early in the morning using the torch on a mobile phone.

Thomas admitted theft of the car, keys and phone, assaulting Mr Inglis with intent to rob and driving without holding a licence, when he appeared in court today.

The judge, Lady Poole, was told that as well as previous convictions for robbery his record also includes crimes of housebreaking, attempting to pervert the course of justice, threatening or abusive behaviour and possession of a bladed weapon.

The judge deferred sentence and remanded him in custody.

Last December, Thomas lost an ear after he was attacked in his cell in Saughton Prison in what was later described as an attempted murder.

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