An attempted robbery at a convenience store in Edinburgh took an unexpected turn when the shopkeepers responded to the armed assailant with laughter, ultimately causing him to flee empty-handed. The incident, captured on CCTV, involved Finlay Crawshaw, who entered the News Plus store brandishing a large kitchen knife and demanding money. Instead of complying, the two employees present found the situation so absurd they began to laugh at the would-be robber.
The Unconventional Confrontation
The attempted robbery occurred around 10:30 PM on November 27th of last year. CCTV footage shows Crawshaw, then 21, bursting into the shop and waving the knife, shouting at the employees. One worker calmly responded, stating there was no money in the till. When Crawshaw questioned this, the employees continued to laugh, a reaction that apparently unnerved the intruder. Faced with this unexpected response, Crawshaw retreated and fled the premises without obtaining any cash or goods.
This incident was part of a series of offenses committed by Crawshaw. Approximately 15 minutes after leaving the convenience store, he targeted a nearby takeaway. There, he again brandished the red-handled knife at two employees and managed to steal an undisclosed sum of money.
Previous Offenses and Sentencing
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that Crawshaw had also committed a similar robbery at the Slateford Express store on November 9th of the same year. In that instance, he entered the shop, demanded cash and cigarettes while armed with a knife, and fled with the stolen items. The assistant at Slateford Express had managed to activate a panic alarm during the robbery.
Crawshaw, originally from Bolton, Lancashire, appeared in court from custody on May 28th, his 21st birthday. He pleaded guilty to three charges of assault and robbery. He was subsequently remanded and brought back for sentencing on June 16th.
Court Proceedings and Sentence
During the sentencing hearing, the court was informed of the details of the robberies. Fiscal depute Corey Laouadi presented the case, outlining how Crawshaw entered the Slateford Express around 6:05 AM on November 9th, with his face covered, demanding money while waving the knife. He reached over the counter to take cash and cigarettes before fleeing.
The subsequent robberies on November 27th involved Crawshaw entering the News Plus convenience store and then proceeding to the Chippy Junction takeaway on Gorgie Road. At the takeaway, he again brandished the large knife, shouted for the till to be opened, and grabbed a handful of notes before escaping towards Gorgie Mill Road. Staff at the takeaway were forced to step back due to the threat posed by the knife.
Sheriff Kenneth Campbell KC sentenced Finlay Crawshaw to a total of three years in prison. In addition to the custodial sentence, Crawshaw received a 12-month supervised release order, meaning he will be monitored by authorities upon his release from prison.
Investigation and Recovery of Weapon
Following the series of robberies, police received intelligence that led them to raid two properties in Edinburgh. During these raids, officers successfully discovered and seized the large kitchen knife that had been used in the attacks. Firearms officers had initially been deployed to the area in an attempt to locate the suspect, but Crawshaw was not apprehended until several days later.
The case highlights the bravery of the shopkeepers who, in a moment of extreme danger, reacted with an unexpected display of defiance. While the robber ultimately escaped the first premises unharmed and without any gain, his subsequent actions led to a significant prison sentence. The recovery of the weapon by police was a crucial part of the investigation that led to the successful prosecution.
