Rory Shayne
Rory Shayne (born Berkhard Bateman; 23 March 1951[1]) is a bank robber who gained notoriety for brazen heists committed in British Columbia and Quebec in the 1970s and 1980s.
Shayne was born in Hamburg, Germany, to a Canadian father and German mother.[1] Shayne's parents left him and his two sister's when he was two years old until they could be brought over to Canada, after which he was placed in a Hamburg orphanage and then a foster home. Shayne had scar tissue on his chest that he claimed was from his foster mother having cut his face when he was four years old, then burning his chest with boiling water to make the injuries appear as an accident.[1][2]
In Victoria, British Columbia, on 24 September 1970, Shayne led police on a daring chase which included a gunfight, hostage taking, and the commandeering of a sailing vessel. Taxi driver Dunc Addison picked up Shayne as a passenger in downtown Victoria and unknowingly drove him to the crime scene, a Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Shayne returned to the cab after robbing the bank and claimed he had to get to the airport by 1 pm. Addison did not realize what had happened until Shayne fired shots through the rear window at pursuing police officers.[3][4][5]
Shayne escaped prison on 14 December 1978. On 23 February 1979, he forced a helicopter pilot at gunpoint to help him rob a bank, before being captured ten days later. He was sentenced to twelve years for kidnapping, conspiracy and armed robbery.[6]
In December 1981, whilst awaiting trial for an hostage-taking incident in prison, he pulled a gun on two guards in an escape attempt. He took aim at the judge and tried to shoot twice, but the gun misfired.[7] He was sentenced to life for the attempted murder.[8] The following month, he was sentenced to eight more years for the hostage-taking incident.[9]
Shayne was deported to West Germany after completing his sentences.[10]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c D'Arcy O'Connor (2011). Montreal's Irish Mafia: The True Story of the Infamous West End Gang. Mississauga, Ontario: John Wiley & Sons Canada. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-470-15890-6.
- ^ Nick Rose (13 August 2018). "The Story of Canada's Infamous Helicopter-Hijacking Bank Robber". VICE. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ Don Collins (25 September 1970). "Gunman Gives Up on U.S. Side After 13-Hour Land-Sea Chase". The Daily Colonist. Victoria, British Columbia. pp. 1–10.
- ^ "Suspect Yields in Hijacked Sailboat". The New York Times. 26 September 1970. p. 12.
- ^ "La vol de banque de Victoria: la police détient un Canadien, Rory Shayne". La Presse (in French). Montreal, Quebec. 26 September 1970. p. E10.
- ^ "'Copter bank robber jailed 12 years". The Gazette. 16 April 1980. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Holdupman attempts escape from courthouse". The Leader-Post. 16 December 1981. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Bandit gets life". The Province. 22 April 1982. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Convict sentenced". The Gazette. 1 May 1982. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Sept. 24, 1970: One bank robbery, 2 shootings, 2 carjackings and a marine-hostage-taking". Times Colonist. 4 October 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
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