THREE thugs who tasered a pregnant shop worker and her colleague during a raid on their store have been jailed for more than 26 years.
Steven Modeste, 37, James Irvine, 54, and Anthony Kimber, 43, attacked Jacqui Young, 31, with the debilitatingweapon in Kelso, Roxburghshire, on October 5, 2015.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard the trio went to the Original Factory Shop in the town’s Bowmont Street wearing masks.
They used the stun gun on Mrs YoungJacqui, who was 14 weeks pregnant, and her 35-year-old co-worker Alexandra McMurray.
Mrs YoungJacqui told the court she kicked one of the men in the groin after she had been tasered. However, they “dragged” her across the shop floor and into the office where the shop’s safe was kept. Prosecutors believe the thieves got away with £7,300.
Mrs Young Jacqui was rushed to hospital for an emergency scan on her unborn baby.
She Mrs Young told the court: “We were on the floor struggling. He kept on coming at me. I was too busy struggling to get him off.”
“He was struggling to get the safe opened.He shouted me into do it. He had the key backwards.”
The court heard the safe was eventually opened and the robbers got away with four days’ takings, the proceeds of a charity collection and “staff incentive money”.
During proceedings Mrs Young told the jury she was 14 weeks pregnant at the time of the attack. She went to Borders General Hospital by ambulance and had a scan on her unborn child. Her child was born in April 2016.
Ms McMurray said she was “tasered” during the incident and was so scared by what was happening that she played dead.
She told the court: “I could see electricity between two prongs.
“I heard Jacqui Young say ‘get off. I saw three sets of feet. Jacqui was in the middle. She was getting frogmarched.”
The court heard that a customer who came into the store was placed beside her by one of the masked men. Ms McMurray added: “He said he wasn’t going to hurt her. He said he wasn’t going to taser or electrocute her.
“I raised my head and he tasered me for a second time. It was at the back of my knee. It was a quick prod.”
A jury yesterday returned guilty verdicts on charges of armed robbery, illegally possessing a stun gun and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Following conviction, it emerged all three men are currently in Edinburgh Prison and had previous convictions for robbery.
Passing sentence, judge Lady Carmichael gave drug addict Modeste eight years in jail, Irvinewas given a nine and a half years, stretch and Kimber, was jailed for nine years. Lady Carmichael said the sentences were given on the basis of their criminal records - Irvine had the worst record for previous offending.
The judge Passing sentence, Lady Carmichael said: “All three of you have been convicted of serious offences. It involved not just the threat of violence. What marks it out is the actual use of a stun gun on two women.
“This assault was particularly distressing as it led to concerns for her unborn child.”
The court heard the three men left behind enough DNA clues for police to later arrest them.
Modeste and Irvine, who were living in Newton St Boswells, were detained at a house in Galashiels. Kimber was detained in Surrey.
The court heard they were holding bundles of banknotes they were trying to hide. Police found other material including tags, envelopes and paper with the Original Factory Shop logo.
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