A BUNGLING thief who tried and failed to steal an ATM in an early hours raid has been convicted.

David Begalov, 32, of no fixed abode, had denied theft, going equipped for theft and attempted theft of an ATM.

At the end of his two-day trial at Oxford Crown Court yesterday jurors took four hours and 30 minutes to find him unanimously guilty of all three counts.

CCTV footage played to the court of the botched burglary appeared to show figures tying tow straps to an ATM at the BP garage in Abingdon's Vineyard to the back of a blue Peugeot.

The car was then seen to drive off at speed in an apparent attempt to break it free.

READ AGAIN: Our original report from the beginning of the trial on Tuesday.

Their repeated efforts, at about 1.30am in the morning, failed as the straps kept snapping under pressure.

They eventually left the scene and police arrived shortly after, having been alerted by the machine's tampering alarm.

Officers found broken plastic and wires scattered on the forecourt floor, where the pair had prised off the cover of the cash dispenser, and cordoned off the scene.

Police then saw the same car pass the petrol station at 4.37am, and followed it to Culham High Street with back-up.

The car was stopped and the driver Goga Kakitadze, 35, of no fixed abode, later admitted his part in the raid.

Begalov, the passenger, had denied playing any part in the break-in and said he was in the car as Kakitadze had picked him up at about 4am, to give him a lift to work.

Yesterday Judge Nigel Daly adjourned the case until September 19 so that both men can be sentenced together.