Thug cries as he’s jailed for robbery
Teacher fling yob‘s vicious assault
A teenager was jailed for four years for an armed raid on a woman who gave him a home.
Marion Bowmaker took in Gary Ralston after his fling with his married history teacher Bernadette Smith emerged.
But the 19-year-old teamed up with a convicted criminal to carry out an attack on her which was “like a scene from a horror movie”.
Ralston wept yesterday (Thursday) as he was sentenced for armed robbery at Miss Bowmaker’s home in Cowie in December 2015.
Ralston had denied the assault and robbery but a judge at the High Court in Glasgow heard he has made a “full confession” to social workers.
“The Bowmakers took you in and treated you like a son,” Lord Ericht told a sobbing Ralston. “You repaid that kindness with a vicious robbery in their home.”
As Ralston was led to the cells his dad Richard shouted: “Keep the head up, son”.
Ralston joined Gavin Landsborough (25) to target the Bowmaker family home.
The jury heard that Miss Bowmaker had looked after Ralston, who had been a friend of her son Ben, when the relationship with his teacher hit the headlines.
The teenager was in the papers three years ago over an affair with mother-of-three Smith, who had taught him at Bannockburn High School.
Ralston and Landsborough burst into Miss Bowmaker’s house after she went to let her dog out.
Ralston kept the terrified mum downstairs while Landsborough tried to hack into her son’s room with an axe. Ralston then joined him before a light was smashed out with a baseball bat.
The duo grabbed three mobile phones, £20 in cash and Ben’s brand new Playstation 4. At one point bungling Landsborough called Ralston Gary before instead saying his name was Johnnie.
But Ben Bowmaker told the jury he knew it was Ralston in his home, someone he described as an “old school friend”.
When the pair tried to flee they initially could not open the door. Landsborough then could not see through his balaclava so he ripped it off, letting his see his face.
Miss Bowmaker recalled thinking at the time: “How can he do that to me? How can he repay us by coming in to rob us with weapons and terrify us?”
Ben Bowmaker’s girlfriend, who was in the house that night ,was later on the same bus as Ralston, who had the PS4 in a sports bag.
Landsborough was first to be caught by police at his home the next day. He had the games console along with balaclavas and weapons and was later jailed for 40 months for his part in the crime.
Ralston, of Stirling, went to trial after denying being involved but during a meeting with social workers he said he wanted to tell the truth and make “a full confession”.
His lawyer Drew McKenzie said: “He speaks of his shame at taking part in such a horrific offence.
“He acknowledges that, at one point, it was like a scene from a horror film.”
The advocate added Ralston had an unhappy childhood and had felt pressure from Landsborough to get involved in the raid.
He acknowledges that, at one point, it was like a scene from a horror film