Christopher Dempsey jailed over Milngavie jewel heist
A man who admitted carrying out an armed robbery at a jewellers in East Dunbartonshire has been jailed for almost seven years.
Christopher Dempsey and an accomplice raided Campbell's Jewellers in Milngavie, on 27 February this year.
The 36-year-old was caught minutes later by police with some of the £24,000-worth of stolen items.
He was jailed for six years for the robbery and 270 days from a previous term for assault and drugs offences.
The High Court in Glasgow heard that the shop's manager and an assistant were working when Campbell and his associate entered the jewellers.
Prosecutor Lisa Gillespie said both were wearing high-visibility trousers and had their hoods up.
Dempsey's friend claimed he had a £2,000 budget and wanted to buy ear-rings and a bracelet.
As the shop manager went to get items from a window display, this man then leapt over the counter and began swinging a hammer.
He grabbed a number of sets of ear-rings while Dempsey also snatched jewellery.
The pair then fled in a car, but police managed to hem in the vehicle at a cul-de-sac.
The robbers ran off, but Dempsey was caught still holding a bag filled with stolen jewellery.
Despite being cornered, he told officers: "I did not do it."
The court heard the items taken were valued at just over £24,000 with only some recovered by the shop.
Dempsey had been out on licence at the time of the raid, having been freed early from prison.
He had been jailed for 54 months in 2008 for serious assault with another two years added in 2009 for drug crimes.
Lady Rae told Dempsey: "This is a very serious matter as it was a robbery on commercial premises with the use of a weapon.
"I appreciate that you were not the person holding the weapon, but you are just as guilty.
"This must have been terrifying for the people involved."