Ex-Tartan Army man gave himself up after robbing bank

High Court in Glasgow was told yesterday.

Tunilla, 43, who served nine years in prison after he was convicted in

the Tartan Army Trial, had held up tellers at knifepoint and stolen more

than #2000. After escaping from the city centre bank, he caught a train

from Glasgow to Ayr, where he went shopping and then surrendered himself

and most of the money at a police station in Troon.

The court heard that Tunilla told police at Troon: ''I think I had a

brain storm. I jumped over the counter, flashed the knife, and then took

the money.'' Tunilla admitted robbing staff of #2016 at the Clydesdale

Bank on April 3 last year.

The Judge, Lord McLean, was told that Tunilla, of Dobbie's Loan Place,

Townhead, Glasgow, was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment in the same

court in May 1975 for conspiracy to rob and firearms charges in the

Tartan Army Trial.

Lord McLean heard that Tunilla was suffering from a depressive illness

at the time of the robbery and this stemmed from his years in maximum

security at Peterhead Prison.

The Judge told Tunilla that it was an exceptional case and that he

accepted that the illness had caused his bizarre behaviour. He said

there was no purpose in sending him back to prison and noted that

Tunilla had not offended in the 10 years since his release in 1983.

For this reason, Lord McLean said he was going to defer sentence until

May 11 next year at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Mr Scott Brady, prosecuting, said that, just before noon on April 3,

Tunilla went into the bank holding a knife, jumped over a security

screen, and said to the tellers: ''This is a peaceful protest. Give me

some money.''

He was given a pile of notes specially marked for robberies and left

and caught a train to Ayr. After shopping for clothes, he made his way

to Troon, asked the way to the police station, and surrendered. He also

handed over #1909 left from the stolen money.

Miss Ruth Anderson, defending, said Tunilla had been involved with

militant Nationalists at the time of the Tartan Army Trial but no longer

had any connection with them.

Most of his time in prison was spent in maximum security, where a

light was on 24 hours a day. On his release, he got a job as a caretaker

and had a stable relationship with a woman and they had a son. In 1991,

he lost his job and his relationship fell apart.

Miss Anderson said that, by the time of the robbery, Tunilla was

convinced he was under surveillance and was behaving in an odd and

bizarre way.

Miss Anderson said that on the day of the robbery, Tunilla went to

Pitt Street to tell the police about being under surveillance but he was

sent away. He was then on his way to see his solicitor when he felt

compelled to rob the bank.

* In the Tartan Army Trial of 1975, seven men, including Tunilla were

charged with conspiring to rob banks, break into Ministry of Defence

establishments throughout Britain, destroy dams, power supplies, and

Labour Exchanges, having possession of explosives, and taking part in a

bank robbery in Springburn Road, Glasgow.

The accused in the three-week conspiracy trial were allegedly members

of the Army of the Provisional Government and were accused of plotting

activities which would force Scottish independence from the Westminster

Government.