WITH a cash draw from the Shoal Bay Country Club gaming room perched on the back of his motorcycle, armed robber Rhys James Allen stepped over the bike, which had been left idling for a quick getaway, and stalled it.
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Then, as an off-duty member of staff came towards him, Allen, 25, barked: “Get f---ed c---”.
A knife in his hand, Allen swiped at the male staff member, dragging the blade down the man’s face and opening a deep gash below his left eye.
Unable to re-start the bike, Allen fled on foot down Lillian Street and into nearby bush, abandoning the cash draw he’d stolen and the $4920 inside.
Allen appeared in Newcastle Local Court via audio visual link from jail this week where he pleaded guilty to aggravated break, enter and commit serious indictable offence and reckless wounding after the botched daytime armed robbery stabbing at the popular Shoal Bay Country Club on April 30 this year.
He will next appear in Newcastle District Court on January 31 to get a sentence date and faces a maximum of 20 years in jail.
It was about 1pm on April 30 this year when Allen went to an associate’s house in Fingal Bay to prepare for the robbery.
Allen’s associate handed him a silver full-face motorcycle helmet with a clear visor, put some petrol in Allen’s black Hyosung motorcycle and handed him a hunting knife.
“If anybody gets in your way, just pull it out and it'll scare them off,” Allen’s associate told him, according to an agreed statement of facts.
Allen rode his motorcycle to the Shoal Bay Country Club, followed by his associate, who was in a vehicle.
Allen’s associate went in first and scoped out the gaming room and cash office, before Allen walked in wearing the motorcycle helmet and clutching the knife.
With no one behind the counter in the cash office, Allen walked in and ripped out a cash draw before then turning around to leave.
But the gaming attendant spotted Allen and called out to other staff members, including an off-duty employee who followed Allen outside as he tried to start the bike. Allen stabbed at the victim’s face, causing a deep laceration that required nine sutures to close.
Allen’s associate is also behind bars and has not entered a plea to a charge of accessory before fact to aggravated break and enter and commit serous indictable offence.
He will next appear in Newcastle Local Court in January.
If anybody gets in your way, just pull it out and it'll scare them off.
- Rhys Allen's associate said, handing him a hunting knife.
