Bank robber made getaway on bus after being covered in pink anti-theft dye

Scene: Bank was robbed by man who made bomb threat.

A bank robber who made his getaway on a bus turned himself in because he “knew he’d be caught eventually”.

Maxwell Taylor surrendered to police the day after the robbery at the NatWest Bank in Edinburgh on June 27.

He appeared at the police station covered in anti-theft dye, which had been activated by quick-thinking bank staff.

Taylor, 29, told officers: "I knew I'd be caught eventually so I thought I'd hand myself in."

He explained that following the robbery, he fled to Perth and booked into a hotel. “All part of my great escape plan,” he told police.

Taylor admitted assaulting NatWest Bank employee Sahir Hiqqash and handing over a note claiming he was in possession of a bomb which he would detonate unless he was given money.

He then robbed the outlet of £1670.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Taylor walked into the George Street bank carrying a rucksack and queued along with other customers. When he was called by Mr Hiqqash, he presented a note to the teller which read: "I've got a bomb in my bag, hand over the money or you go bye bye."

Advocate depute Hugh Irwin said: "The victim thought the accused was joking until the accused pushed the rucksack towards him."

Mr Hiqqash alerted another colleague by using a codeword before complying with Taylor’s demands but slipping a “raid pack” of anti-theft dye into the bundles of banknotes which then activated when Taylor left the bank.

CCTV footage revealed that after he fled the bank, Taylor boarded a bus to Kirkcaldy. The bus was traced but by the time police arrived he had left. However, the following morning Taylor turned up at Perth police station and asked to hand himself in for a robbery in Edinburgh.

He had a bundle of money which he said had come from the bank. He said he had taken a train and stayed at the Station Hotel. He was asked if he had a hidden weapon and said: "No, but I'm wearing the same clothes. Look they're covered in the bank dye."

Police recovered £800 from Taylor and found £140 covered in pink dye in the hotel cash box.

Mr Irwin said that the robber was interviewed and gave "a full and frank admission to the crime".

Taylor said: "I wasn't obviously going to blow anybody up."

Defence solicitor advocate Krista Johnston said that Taylor had an accident in 2011 and part of his leg was blown off by an electric current. She said that at the time of the offence he had no money and that was his motivation for the crime.

The judge, Lord Turnbull, deferred sentence on Taylor for reports in October. He was remanded in custody.

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