George Barnsley, Chair of the Lanarkshire Police Historical Society (LPHS), shared this article from his local newspaper.
On the 16th of June 1959, Detectives of the British Transport Commission police were on duty in an unmarked police vehicle, in the Yorkhill area of Glasgow, when their attention was drawn to a grey-coloured van.
Both were well known to them, the driver was Robert Henderson of Carnarvon Street and the passenger was John Callaghan of Byshot Street, both Glasgow. The officers had previous dealings with both men.
The Detectives followed the van out of Glasgow, through Bellshill, into Motherwell until it stopped on Mellville Drive, Motherwell. When the van stopped, much to the surprise of the Detectives, four men got out. The other two men were also known to them as William Cloughey of Fruin Place, Possilpark and John Charles Kilpatrick McKechnie of Carnarvon St, Glasgow.
The officers maintained a safe distance and watched as the men walked off. The officers followed on foot as the men walked along Melville Drive onto Brandon Street. They stopped outside D.H. McKellar’s Jewellers shop at No 50.
Callaghan and McKechnie disappeared through a common close toward the rear of the premises whilst the other two remined on the street outside the shop. After a couple of minutes the two returned and began talking to the others.
The four then moved off and walked to the Royal Hotel, then crossed the road to Mac’s Bar. This time Cloughey and McKechnie walked through a close to the rear of the pub but returned shortly after.
One of the Detectives kept a watch on the four and the other used the telephone in a nearby shop to call Motherwell Police office and make them aware of their observations. A patrol car was sent to meet the officer who made them aware of what and who they were observing. He also provided the details of the van they were using. He then returned to join his colleague whilst the Motherwell officers traced the van on Melville Drive and maintained observations.
Henderson, Callaghan and McKechnie walked back to the van leaving Cloughey at Watson Street. The van then drove off heading toward Wishaw, followed at a discreet distance by the Motherwell patrol car. The BTC Detectives kept watch on Cloughey who walked up and down Brandon Street several times, returning to Watson Street.
About 30 minutes later the van appeared back at Brandon Street. Cloughey signalled it to stop, which it did and he climbed in. The van then drove back onto Melville Drive and stopped. All four got out of the van and stood on the street.
Henderson stood by the drivers side of the van whilst Callaghan stood at the Brandon Street, Melville Drive junction. McKechnie and Cloughey crossed the road toward Mac’s Bar, which was closed.
McKechnie stood facing inward and appeared to be pulling at the lock on the door. Cloughey stood facing the street acting as a look-out.
At this point the BTC Detectives decided to make their move and walked along Brandon Street. They were quickly identified by Callaghan who signalled to the two in the pub doorway. They quickly moved away from the door and ran across the road toward Melville Drive. All four made it to the van and jumped inside, driving off at speed onto Brandon Street toward Motherwell Cross.
The Motherwell patrol car was quickly on their tail and followed them all the way, eventually stopping the van on Muir Street. The four were arrested and taken to Motherwell Police office at High Road. The BTC Detectives joined them there.
When the four were searched at the police office, McKechnie was found to have a pair of woollen gloves in his pocket, unusual considering this was June. The van was also searched and found to have four filed mortice keys wrapped in a piece of cloth lying behind the driver’s seat. These were common housebreaking implements.
The door at Mac’s Bar was checked however there was no sign of damage to the lock or the door.
The City of Glasgow Police criminal records office was contacted and it was ascertained that all four had convictions for crimes of dishonesty, mostly housebreaking.
All four were charged under Section 409 of the Burgh Police (Scotland) Act 1892, being known or reputed thieves found in a street with the intention of committing a crime. They were liberated at that time.
On Monday the 31st of August 1959, the accused appeared at Motherwell Burgh Police Court in front of Baillie Jarvie. They pled ‘Not Guilty’.
Two officers from the City of Glasgow Police criminal records office were the first witnesses, speaking to the previous convictions of the four accused. The BTC and Motherwell officers then gave their evidence.
The accused all gave evidence, maintaining that they had accompanied Henderson to Motherwell as he was to uplift a load of scrap from a man. They had first arranged to meet him in The Royal Hotel but he was not there. They then travelled around the Motherwell & Wishaw area in an attempt to find him. Unfortunately, none of them could provide an identity for this man nor explain what they were doing being McKellar’s Jewellers and in the doorway of Mac’s Bar.
At the end of the proceedings Baillie Jarvie found all four ‘Guilty’. He sent all four to prison for 60 days, saying, “Motherwell must never become a hunting ground for people with criminal records like yours”.
Source: Wishaw Press & Advertiser (4th of September 1959)
Transcribed by George Barnsley (in 2021)