Black Rock Man Denied Bail After Botched ATM Heist
July 8, 2026 — A 35-year-old Black Rock man remains remanded in custody tonight after appearing before a Master in the High Court in connection with a daring, Hollywood-style attempt to rip out a First Citizens Bank (FCB) ATM vault using heavy construction machinery in Plymouth, Tobago.
The accused, identified as Sherman Irvine, was denied bail when he appeared in court facing a string of indictable charges—including robbery with violence, false imprisonment, breaking and entering, and malicious damage. The botched heist, captured on viral CCTV footage, saw a gang of five bandits—including one suspect bizarrely dressed in a Batman costume—hijack heavy machinery before tearing into the commercial outlet on Shelbourne Street. However, mechanical failure forced the crew to flee empty-handed. How the Daring Heist Unfolded and Unravelled
Court documents and police reports reveal an elaborate, multi-stage operation that collapsed due to equipment failure:
Courland THA Compound Ambush: The robbery began around 1:30 AM when five masked men tied up and held three estate constables at gunpoint at a Tobago House of Assembly (THA) works compound in Courland, stealing a yellow Caterpillar backhoe and a three-tonne truck.
Ripping the Vault from the Wall: The suspects drove the heavy equipment three kilometres down Shelbourne Street in Plymouth. Using the hydraulic arm of the backhoe, they smashed the storefront and dislodged the cash-filled ATM vault from its foundation within minutes.
Damaged Boom & Escape: The plan unravelled when the backhoe’s hydraulic arm malfunctioned and failed to lift the heavy safe into the bed of the truck. Despite desperate attempts by the suspect dressed as “Batman” to manually muscle the vault, the crew abandoned the heavy machinery, dumped the getaway truck at Adventure Trace, and fled empty-handed.
Community Inconvenience: Following the structural destruction, First Citizens decommissioned the machine, prompting Plymouth/Black Rock area representative Kern Alexis and local residents to urge the bank to restore banking services to the community.
Police have confirmed that active manhunts and forensic investigations are ongoing to locate and arrest the remaining four accomplices.
