Andrew Murdoch (45) of Ross-on-Wye was found guilty of a burglary at the Golf Sports Bar in Ross-on-Wye, where he stole cash, a sports bag and a Fitbit watch.

The Golf Sports Bar was broken into during the early hours of the morning of Tuesday, January 10th and CCTV cameras filmed a man inside the premises on two occasions that morning, once at 1.30am and once at approximately 7am.

The man in the CCTV footage appeared to be attempting to gain access to the money inside a fruit machine by hitting it with an iron bar.

Although in the first instance at 1.30am he was unsuccessful, when he re-appeared later that same morning he was then able to access the money inside.

Mr Murdoch had been arrested by PC Emily Holder and Sergeant Jamie Bullock in Ross-on-Wye on January 10th, for another offence. He has been remanded in custody since.

On January 10th, after his arrest, they were called to the Golf Sports Bar to review the CCTV footage at the Golf Sports Bar. A male was caught on film, and they identified Mr Murdoch as the offender in the video.

At his trial at Hereford Magistrates’ Court on Monday, February 6th, Mr Murdoch entered a not guilty plea. PC Holder and Sgt Bullock were in court to give evidence as witnesses.

When reviewing the CCTV footage, Sgt Bullock told the court, that although in the footage filmed at 1.30am, the man in the video could not be facially identified. However, in the clip filmed at approximately 7am, he was able to see the offender’s face. “At that point, I knew without a shadow of a doubt...that is Mr Murdoch, 100%.”

Sgt Bullock told the court that he had met Mr Murdoch on ten previous occasions, because of his previous criminal convictions.

Marilena DiVitantonio, defending, asked Sgt Bullock, as he had arrested Mr Murdoch earlier that day for another offence, if he had been hoping it was him when he reviewed the CCTV footage, but Sgt Bullock said that this was absolutely not the case, and he had kept an open mind.

PC Holder was also adamant that she was completely sure that the man in the video was Mr Murdoch. She said that she had met Murdoch a few hours previously, when she and Sgt Bullock had arrested him.

When questioned, Mr Murdoch maintained that on the evening of January 9th, he had stayed with two friends, and had stayed with them until 10am the following morning, but neither one were able to confirm his alibi, as they were not in court.

Kriss Ewing, prosecuting, told Mr Murdoch that his friends had not been contacted because he had not given the police enough information about who they were, he had only mentioned their first names, and a road name.

She also argued that the two police officers were both definite that it was Mr Murdoch in the CCTV footage, and as they had arrested him a few hours previously, his features would have been fresh in their minds. She said they had given good, strong evidence as expert witnesses.

Ms DiVitantonio argued that the officers had only recognised Mr Murdoch in a one to two second clip on CCTV, and that Magistrates should be careful to convict Mr Murdoch, based on a "fleeting glance."

The Magistrates found Murdoch guilty. He had pleaded guilty to a theft on January 8th of stealing three bottles of perfume from Boots, to the value of £221.50, which meant he breached a conditional discharge. He will be sentenced in March.

For another offence, a burglary from a local salon, Murdoch pleaded not guilty. The trial for this offence will be held on Tuesday, March 7th, and until that date, he has been remanded in custody.

To read the full article, please see this week’s edition of the Ross Gazette.