By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Narre Warren man has been jailed over 10 armed robberies in 23 days, in which he preyed on sole shop attendants at knifepoint for cash and cigarettes.
Sean O’Toole, 26, pleaded guilty in the County Court of Victoria to the offences as well as two similar attempted armed robberies and recklessly causing injury to one of the attendants.
In sentencing on 17 March, Judge Philip Misso said the community was entitled to feel outraged that O’Toole confronted “innocent and defenceless” shopkeepers in the way he did.
“The community must be protected from people like you who hit a soft target, disguised and armed with a potentially dangerous weapon.”
Typically, O’Toole wore a black hooded top, preyed on stores with one attendant and was prepared to brandish a knife if the attendants didn’t comply with his demands for cash, Mr Misso said.
On the first offence on 7 June, O’Toole threatened to stab an attendant at a Narre Warren service station before being handed $170 cash and a packet of cigarettes.
In a 30 June hold-up, a shop attendant’s thumb was cut when it brushed O’Toole’s knife blade as he slammed the till shut.
Judge Misso said it was likely O’Toole would have continued with further armed robberies until his arrest on 2 July.
Four of the victims made impact statements to the court.
Several described their trouble sleeping, their shock and fear; one was described as left “sweating and paralysed” and unable to return to work.
In a statement, the shopkeeper whose thumb was cut during a hold-up however asked for the judge to show leniency.
O’Toole’s methamphetamine addiction had allegedly been triggered by anxiety, depression and trauma as a victim of a car-jacking in March 2015.
The ice use spiralled out of control by 2016. It led to the end of his relationship and a period of couch-surfing and living rough, Judge Misso said.
O’Toole claimed he had been kidnapped and assaulted by a man with a shotgun over a drug debt last year.
The judge accepted O’Toole’s offending was linked to drug use and his mental health but was encouraged by O’Toole remaining drug-free during his 253 days of remand custody.
O’Toole’s “genuine regret”, desire to lead a profitable life and early guilty plea were also noted.
He was jailed for five years, with a non-parole period of three years.
