A Peterhead thug has been locked up for raiding a Highland home with a masked gang who threatened to chop off a family’s fingers if they didn’t open a money safe.
Kyle Rossiter, a former sous chef, admitted his role in stealing more than £40,000 from the residents during the terrifying home invasion close to Beauly.
The 23-year-old was one of up to six intruders who burst into the bungalow, in the community of Foxhole, near Kiltarlity, around 7pm on October 19 2020.
A man and his wife – both aged 59 – along with loved ones were there at the time.
The mob demanded to know the whereabouts of another relative, who apparently owed £90,000 – but they mistakenly thought he lived there.
One of the gang – described as the “ringleader” – was clutching a knife.
Rossiter had armed himself with a poker.
As curtains were pulled shut to stop anyone peering in, the family was ordered to sit down and help with opening a safe.
Prosecutor Alan Parfery told the High Court in Glasgow: “The males put the safe in the middle of the living room floor and told them they would start chopping off fingers until it was open.
“They said it made no difference to them if they had to stab the entire family. They said they had been ‘paid to do this, so do not f*** with us’.”
Rossiter, of Peterhead, whacked the safe with the poker to try and get inside it.
Phones were taken from members of the family and shoved down the toilet.
The mob again demanded to know where their relative was as he was wanted “down the road” by their “boss”.
The victims – described as being in “extreme distress” – pleaded they had no contact with him.
The gang bagged ‘in excess’ of £40,000
One of the invaders turned on the husband and warned him that he would stab his family.
Mr Parfery added: “He stated that there were males outside in a van with guns who would shoot them if he did not comply with their demands to open the safe”.
The scared man eventually agreed and the gang bagged “in excess” of £40,000 that was inside.
They also removed a CCTV hard drive from the property along with a Wi-Fi router.
Some members of the family had their hands bound with towels, cables and a belt before the gang fled.
Police later learned of the raid and a hunt began to catch the gang.
DNA linked Rossiter to being involved. He was caught in Glenrothes, Fife, in January 2021.
Rossiter – who previously avoided a prison sentence after being caught with cocaine, cannabis and guns – had been due to stand trial earlier this year, but failed to turn up and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
He was then arrested in June.
Rossiter pleaded guilty to being involved with unnamed others in the abduction, assault and robbery.
‘This was a terrifying ordeal and it was clearly the intention’
Judge Douglas Brown told Rossiter : “The offence you pled guilty to is serious.
“This was a terrifying ordeal for these people and it was clearly the intention of you and the others involved.
“You are 23 now and 20 at the time of the offence, which means you fall into the Scottish sentencing guidelines on young people.
“I have to have regard to your maturity at the time which can affect culpability and blameworthiness as well as rehabilitation.
“The reporter of your background report says you have a lack of maturity towards your criminal lifestyle and there is no evidence of impulsive behaviour on your part as it was planned in advance.
“Due to your age and the circumstances, I will restrict your sentence.”
Rossiter was jailed for five years and seven months.
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