Michelle Mullany, 35, masterminded a £5,000 raid on her own colleagues
A bookmaker who masterminded a £5,000 raid on her own colleagues planned the heist while in bed with her boyfriend.
Michelle Mullany, 35, told Daniel Cowgill times, dates and locations to use in their robbery of a branch of Coral in Salford.
The mother-of-two tipped off her 26-year-old partner that one of her colleagues would be dropping off cash to a post office and told him when to strike.
Samantha Holden, 29, was about to deposit the takings when she was wrestled to the ground by Cowgill and another man and robbed.
Mullany denied robbery, but was convicted and jailed for three years at Manchester Crown Court.
Cowgill and Trevor Hinds, 22, admitted robbery and were jailed for four years and three and a half years respectively.
Mullany was arrested three days after the raid and when officers went to her home, she asked ‘has Samantha been arrested as well?’, the court heard.
It emerged in the minutes before the heist in October 2015, Mullany had asked Miss Holden to help her with the cashing up before saying: ‘I can’t be a**** going – can you take it?’.
She then texted Cowgill, who was loitering outside.
In a statement to police, Miss Holden said: ‘Initially I had panic attacks – I could hardly move my neck for a while.
‘After three weeks I was still not fit physically or mentally but couldn’t have any more time off work financially so I returned.
‘The psychological trauma affected me far more than the physical injury and I have trouble trusting anyone I work with.
Michelle Mullany (right), 35, told Daniel Cowgill (left) times, dates and locations used in their robbery of takings from a branch of Coral in Salford
‘I sometimes feel people are talking about me as many knew Michelle. The attack has taken my job satisfaction away. It affected my personal life in many ways I didn’t anticipate.
‘The other day I was walking down the street and my sister ran behind me and tapped me on the shoulder I jumped and was scared to death.
‘It’s very frustrating not being able to control my emotions about the incident but there doesn’t feel like there’s much I can do about it.
‘Every time I talk or think about it it brings back the feelings. I worry about why it still affects me.
‘I clearly would not have returned to work however financially I didn’t have that luxury and didn’t want them to think they had beaten me in any way.’
Judge Anthony Cross QC told Mullany she had betrayed her colleagues and her boss.
Mullany was jailed after being convicted of robbery at Manchester Crown Court
She said: ‘I just hope that you are ashamed of yourself.
‘The night before the robbery you and Cowgill spent the night together and I dare say the pillow talk that particular night was about what would happen the next day.
‘Part of the planning would involve discussion as to the amount of force that would be needed and you would know in advance it would not take much to take this money from Samantha Holden.
‘The robbery took place on a day when there was more cash and on a day when there was female employees taking it to the bank. You put the wellbeing of the woman you worked alongside at risk.’
The court heard that Mullany had been working at the betting shop for seven months when the raid took place.
‘Nicola Carroll prosecuting said: ‘She and Cowgill were in a casual relationship. On the night before the robbery he stayed overnight at her address.
‘The following morning, she left home at 8am to start work and Cowgill left at the same time she did and met up with Hinds.
‘They drove around Salford and areas around the Coral bookmakers and the vehicle was parked up outside the bookmakers at all relevant points in the execution of this offence.
‘One of the first tasks Mullany did when she arrived was getting the money out of the safe and calculating the banking figure.
‘A member of staff takes the money to the post office and that’s done by different people and different directions are taken.
‘The cash is held in a bumbag hidden under their clothing. Somebody needs to stay behind and look after the shop.
‘During that day Cowgill and Michelle Mullany exchanged a number of text messages and he is already in the nearby vicinity.
Mullany (left) was arrested three days after the raid, carried out by Cowgill (right), 26, and his accomplice Trevor Hinds, 22
When Samantha Holden arrived Michelle Mullany took a break and at 1:33pm Cowgill called her mobile and she answered and they had a conversation lasting just short of one and a half minutes.
‘Once she returned to work she suggested to Samantha Holden they sort the banking out.
At 1:54 she left the store again for a very short time and when she returned she told Samantha Holden ”I can’t be a**** going, can you take it?” Miss Holden agreed and started preparing to leave the store with the cash.
‘At 14:10 Cowgill and Hinds walked across the main road and waited for Samantha Holden to leave the shop.
‘Samantha Holden placed money in the bum bag under her clothing and as this was taking place Michelle Mullany sent a text message to Daniel Cowgill at 14:12.
‘Within a few minutes of that being sent Samantha Holden left the store with the cash, walked a very short distance before being grabbed from behind and wrestled to the floor and robbed of the bum bag with £4,820.
‘They knew roughly when Samantha Holden would be leaving the shop, they knew because this defendant told them.
‘She either told Daniel Cowgill in person, on her break or on the phone or they devised a code in respect of the texting.
‘There is no way they knew the banking process, when the money was going to be taken and who was going to be taking the money.’
In mitigation, Mullany’s lawyer Huw Edwards said: ‘She is unlikely to commit further offences in the future. I submit this is the last time she will be before these courts and will proceed to live a more useful existence.’
But for Cowgill whose new girlfriend is due to have his child, defence lawyer Brendan O’Leary said: ‘It’s not the traditional case of Mr Cowgill leading Miss Mullany astray. In fact I submit he was not the leader of this enterprise.’