Edinburgh Sainsbury's ATM raider was caught after leaving DNA on a drink bottle

A crime gang member who ripped out an ATM using metal chains tied to the back of a high-powered vehicle has been jailed for 15 months.

Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article.

Cameron Corbett, 21,was part of the group who attempted to steal the cash machine from a branch of Sainsbury’s in Edinburgh’s West End in May 2018.

The crook and two unknown accomplices managed to drag the machine into the street leaving supermarket staff terrified and causing more than £40,000 in damage.

Crime scene: The aftermath of the failed ATM heist

The heist was foiled when a brave bus driver stopped his vehicle in a bid to block the masked trio making their getaway in a high-powered Audi.

But the three-strong gang managed to make their escape in the vehicle leaving the ATM sitting in the middle of the pavement at the capital’s Shandwick Place.

READ MORE: REVEALED: Hero bus driver foiled Shandwick Place ATM raid

Police later recovered the Audi SQ5 and forensic tests on a plastic bottle left inside the vehicle identified Corbett’s DNA.

Corbett admitted, while acting with others, to breaking into the Sainsbury’s Local outlet to steal the ATM when he appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.

The thug returned to the dock for sentencing and Sheriff Douglas Keir told him: “This was a very serious matter indeed and caused a huge amount of concern.

“I am quite clear the threshold for custody has been reached.”

Corbett was caged for 15 months.

Solicitor Stephen Mannifield, defending, said his client was just 18 at the time of the raid, had recently gained employment and was now in a steady relationship.

READ MORE: Attempted ATM robbery at Portobello Aldi sees machine pulled through wall

Previously the court was told the store had closed at 11pm on May 16, 2018 but nightshift workers remained inside to re-stock shelves through the night.

The 155mph Audi was seen to have pulled up outside the store at 3.27am and three masked men jumped out and approached the shop.

Five staff members then watched on as the robbers tried to force entry but they managed to flee through a fire exit and contact the police to raise the alarm about the attack.

The gang made their way inside the store and slung the heavy metal chains round the ATM and secured the other end to the powerful motor.

The Audi then drove off and the ATM was ripped from its housing, damaging the store’s glass front and wrecking the cash mchine

The court was told that a passing bus driver witnessed the robbery bid and the have-a-go-hero bravely “positioned his bus to provide a barrier between the car and the ATM”.

The robbers attempted to place the cash machine into the boot of their car but were thwarted when a taxi driver approached them.

The gang then fled the scene without their haul – leaving the ATM lying in the middle of the pavement.

The Audi was subsequently recovered by police the following day and a bottle inside the vehicle was found to contain Corbett’s DNA after it underwent a battery of forensic tests.

Corbett, from Granton, Edinburgh, was caught by police a week later in Fife.

Officers discovered incriminating texts between Corbett and another man on his phone which appeared to relate to the foiled raid.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.