Man threatened Tesco delivery driver to get Budweiser carry out

Dillon Martin (22) was holding a broken bottle when he approached the Tesco driver as he returned to his van after dropping off shopping in Camelon, Falkirk.

He told the driver in no uncertain terms he “wanted a carry out”.

Appearing by video link at Falkirk Sheriff Court yesterday, Martin, of Cumbrae Drive, Tamfourhill, admitted assault and robbery in Wall Street, Camelon, Falkirk, on April 3, 2019.

An allegation that he had “brandished” the broken bottle at the driver during the robbery was dropped by the prosecution.

Michael Maguire, procurator fiscal depute, said: “The driver had come out of a house and saw two males walking towards his van. He returned to the vehicle with his trolley and trays, put the trays back in the van, closed the shutter, and locked it.

"Martin approached him and said, ‘I want something out of the van. I want a carry-out’.”

The driver told Martin, “It's not happening, pal”, but Martin pulled out a broken glass bottle, and, still holding it, told the driver to open the van.

Witnesses watching from nearby houses saw the driver standing with his hands in the air with Martin “looking very aggressively at him”.

Martin opened the side shutter of the van and took out a box of Budweiser.

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A woman watching from her house shouted for him to stop.

Then a 23-year-old man, who had also been watching from his window, went out to intervene.

“The man noted the accused was holding the box of Budweiser under his arm, and a broken bottle in his right hand. He grabbed the Budweiser and told the accused to be off – in not so many words.

Martin then ran off while the witness walked back to the Tesco van and returned the Budweiser to the driver.

Martin had been recognised by several witnesses, and he was later arrested.

Solicitor Dick Sandeman, defending, said: "Drink had been taken to the state of befuddlement, and to do that to a Tesco delivery driver was an extremely foolish act.”

Sheriff Derek Hamilton jailed Martin for two years.

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