‘Bungled’ robbery by youth

Press, 7 May 1980, Page 4

‘Bungled’ robbery by youth

PA Dunedin A youth who admitted his •part in an aggravated robbery committed in Dunedin in March was sentenced to Borstal training when he ap-1 peared in the High Court ati Dunedin yesterday before Mr Justice Somers. Trevor Stuart Palmer, aged 17, unemployed, of Christchurch, had pleaded guilty to conspiring to rob a Caversham take-away bar on March 28. and together with three others assaulting Clifford Bridger, on March 29, with intent to rob him, while armed with a gas> operated pistol. i For Palmer, Mr J. M. Con- i radson said although the pis;tol was involved in the in-| 'cident, no actual violence' had been used. | It had been a “hopelessly, bungled” robbery attempt, he said, and the complainant had little difficulty in over-1 coming Palmer by hitting; him on the nose with a broom. Palmer’s part in the takeaway bar robbery had diminished when he “got cold feet” and he had later been taunted by the others for this, Mr Conradson said.: Mr Justice Somers : told Palmer that both offences .were serious, and anything less than a custodial sentence would be quite inept.