Three Post Office workers were sprayed with ammonia during a terrifying robbery. Career criminal Daniel Burtak, 35, from Bolton, held up a branch on Abbey Street, Accrington, wearing a fake beard and scarf armed with a Fairy Liquid bottle containing the dangerous chemical.
He sprayed the three employees in the face as he emptied the safe and tills to make off with £15,000 before meeting up with getaway driver Colin Naylor, 51, outside a nearby pub, a court heard. As he left the building, he turned back to squirt more ammonia at one of his helpless victims.
The pair appeared to plan a second robbery at another Post Office branch in the town but their suspicious activity caught the attention of two witnesses, a judge was told. The pair denied any involvement, but were found guilty after trial. They returned for a sentencing hearing at Burnley Crown Court on Friday.
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The judge, however, said she needed further information and would pass sentence this Thursday, reports Lancashire Live. Burtak was jailed for eight years in 2019 after a violent robbery at a jewellery shop in Carlisle. The court heard then he was jailed in 2007 for his role in the armed smash-and-grab robbery of a Bolton jewellery store, and locked up again in 2016 for helping to burgle a food wholesaler in Penrith.
Peter Gilmour, prosecuting, said that the Accrington robbery took place on May 10, 2019, and that CCTV showed Naylor's pickup truck driving in the area around 4.30pm. Around 50 minutes later, cameras showed Burtak arrive at the post office riding on a bike and wearing the bizarre disguise.
During the raid, three post office staff were sprayed in the face with ammonia, causing varying levels of injury. One man said he suffered 'agony' and still feels anxious about strangers entering the post office and a woman who had worked there for 16 years felt unable to return to her job.
Mr Gilmour said that as Burtak ran out of the shop he 'gratuitously' sprayed more ammonia at one worker even though they were already incapacitated. He jumped back onto the bike and rode to meet Naylor outside a nearby pub. Three days later, the pair appeared to be targeting the Blackburn Road branch in similar fashion and attracted the attention of two suspicious bystanders which ultimately led to their arrest.
At around 11am, Naylor's truck was again seen on CCTV driving in Accrington after leaving his home in Bolton and at a similar time, Burtak was seen outside the post office, the court heard. This time, he decided against going in but a Post Office employee who was sat in a van outside thought he looked suspicious and decided to follow him. He witnessed Burtak meet Naylor and get into his vehicle and an annoyed Burtak threw a bottle at his van. All of this was captured on the van's dashcam.
A box which had been dumped by Burtak was found on China Street and its content included a yellow snood with DNA evidence on. Police later found gloves and a wig with further DNA evidence and the pair had also been filmed by a witness who thought they were acting strangely.
Both denied any involvement in the robbery but were ultimately charged and convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery. Burtak, of HMP Wymott, was also found guilty of three counts of administering a noxious substance.
Mr Gilmour said that both men had extensive criminal records with Burtak’s including multiple robberies in 2019. Defending Burtak, Michael Scholes said he now accepted responsibility for what he did. He said that he had been under pressure of 'threats to his life' which led him to be involved in such high-level crime.
Mr Scholes heavily criticised a pre-sentence report which had been prepared for the hearing, saying that is overlooked his good work in prison which includes achieving enhanced status gaining qualifications in maths, English and vocational learning.
He said Burtak has barely seen his three year old daughter as a result of his imprisonment for a crime committed around a similar time, adding: "The person who committed those offences in 2019 no longer exists."
Defending Naylor, Keith Harrison said the offence was committed out of 'warped logic' that he needed to provide more to the family financially. He said a brain injury led him to be more impulsive than he used to be and that injuries meant he struggled to find work. As a result, he wanted to contribute more to the family like his business-owning wife.
Mr Harrison said: "He couldn't find work due to his physical condition. It’s warped logic but he felt unequal to contribute nothing while his wife was earning so much." He added that Naylor was full-time carer to his daughter and that the family would suffer during his inevitable time in prison.
Sentencing, Judge Sara Dodd said she needed more time than was available to pass sentence and adjourned the hearing until Thursday this week. Both men were remanded into custody.
