A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to 11 years in jail after robbing a pokie club in 2009 and a betting agency in 2010. He and his partner stole almost $50 000 from the two gaming venues, and will be serving hefty jail sentences for their crimes. The pokie club theft robbery took place in July 2009, when the pair stole from the Erindale Vikings club.
They wore masks into the venue to conceal their identities and tied up two custodial staff members. They smashed open a number of pokie machines and received just $748; however, they caused more than $90 000 worth of damage. In 2010, they robbed the ACTTAB on Cox Plate Day, the betting firm’s biggest sales day.
They held up the venue with a sawed-off rifle and stole $46 000 from the TAB. Despite being arrested in 2011, the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, stood trial in the ACT Supreme Court in July 2013. At the time, he pleaded guilty to both charges of aggravated robbery, and was remanded to appear in court again this month for his sentencing.
In total, the criminal has been charged with 71 offences in the past, so it was expected that his sentence would be substantial. Many of the victims had experienced emotional injury as a result of their involvement in his crimes. Some developed Post Traumatic Stress Disordered and suicidal tendencies, and Acting Justice John Neild doubted that the criminal had regretted his offences.
Justice Neild wanted him to truly pay for his actions, and he said that he "must be reminded loudly and clearly that repeat offending will not be tolerated". The offender’s sentence will start on January 5th, 2014 and it will end on February 4, 2025. In January 2020, he will be eligible for parole.
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