A MAN looking after his ill brother’s Post Office was subjected to a “terrifying ordeal” when two prostitutes burst in and robbed him of £11,000.
After asking for a book of stamps, one of the pair posed as a fake hostage while the other demanded money from the petrified stand-in postmaster.
A getaway car took the pair, Kelly Urquhart, 30, and Linda Brown, 25, away from the scene in Edinburgh towards Aberdeen.
But their escape was foiled by a witness who chased them while on the phone to police.
They admitted their part in the heist, but claimed today (Mon) that they were victims of their now dead pimp Adrian Brosnan, who they say “preyed on their vulnerabilities” to pay off drugs debts.
Phone-lines going into the post office were cut in advance of the raid, which Sheriff William Holligan deemed as “clearly pre-meditated.”
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard how Mr Brosnan bought gloves on the drive down from their native Aberdeen to Edinburgh on November 12 last year, then binned them on his way out after the robbery.
Stand-in postmaster Alexander Brydon was cashing up at the Marischal Place post office when Brown entered and asked for some stamps.
Depute fiscal Alasdair MacLeod said: “At that point Brosnan entered the shop wearing a balaclava and headed straight for Brown.
“Urquhart then held the door open in case there was an automatic lock, while Brosnan held Brown in a headlock.
“He indicated that she would come to harm if Mr Brydon didn’t hand over money, at which point Brown began to scream.”
They took the money and ran from the shop to a waiting Mitsubishi Colt car, while the fake hostage Brown calmly walked out after them.
The shocked shopkeeper pleaded with her to stay to give evidence to police, but she ignored him and caught up with her gang.
Onlooker Mark Smith saw Brosnan putting the cash into a pouch in his jacket pocket and followed the trio to their getaway car.
He called police, who set up a trap on the A90 on Cramond Brig, where they stopped, searched and arrested all involved.
However, a different man – who cannot be named – was driving.
Brosnan was never traced or charged before his death, a suspected suicide, in May this year.
Mr MacLeod added: “Miss Brown told police she had met Brosnan just a week before the robbery and that she and her friend Urquhart worked for him as prostitutes and owed him a drug debt.
“Mr Brydon was left shaken by this robbery, the post office is blaming him for the loss of the money as there is no CCTV.
“All this while his brother is suffering from Parkinson’s disease.”
Both Brown and Urquhart claim they didn’t gain any money from the robbery.
Brosnan dumped most of the cash in his child’s bank account, according to Brown’s defence agent Ross Gardener.
He said: “She has a tragic background herself, as a mother of three children who are in care; so reports will be needed.”
Urquhart’s agent, Lynn Bentley, added: “Mr Brosnan preyed on the vulnerabilities of both the accused.”
Sheriff Holligan told them: “This was very clearly a pre-meditated robbery, although there appears to be an unfortunate history for both.
“I make no qualms of the gravity of the disposal I am bound to be considering.”
Sentence for both Brown and Urquhart was deferred until later this month.
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