Five years jail for armed robbery

Press, 26 March 1980, Page 2

Five years jail for armed robbery

PA Auckland Staff at an Auckland restaurant had been locked in a room and made to keep -quiet under the threat of; death as two masked gun-1 men had robbed them'’ ofj 's3ooo. said Mr Justice Vau-1 tier yesterday. Sentencing one of the men|to five years jail he said he; 'had to assume the shotgun! carried by the man had been' loaded. There was no information that the death threats had been bluff. ; In the Supreme Court at 'Auckland was Mark Bruce (Wheeler, aged 22, a driver, (who had pleaded guilty to 'armed robbery at' the E! ITrovodor restaurant in the; iSt Luke’s shopping centre. His Honour said Wheeler; and his companion had entered the restaurant about 10 p.m. on -- day last September. Wheeler had worn a! crash helmet and disguise; and both men had carried! shotguns. j Three members of the! staff had been pushed about! at gunpoint and had been told to keep quiet under the! threat of death. Two male staff members had been locked in a room and the female cashier had been threatened and eventually made to open the safe.. Three telephones had been! ripped from their terminals and the cashier had then also been locked in the room. Armed robbery' had reached alarming proportions and the Court of Ap-; ■ peal had made it clear that the offence should be classed in the most-serious category, his Honour said.