By Jessica Anstice
A Pakenham man has been sentenced to jail and a one year community corrections order for an armed hold up at a service station late last year.
In the Victorian County Court, Rodney O’Doherty pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted armed robbery.
The court heard the 44-year-old threatened a Coles Express service station employee in Richmond using a syringe that was filled halfway with blood, about 7.10am on Friday 20 December.
Judge Frances Dalziel informed the court O’Doherty demanded that the cashier handed him $100, “or I will stab you with the needle”.
Shortly after the incident occurred, O’Doherty was arrested by police at Richmond Railway Station.
He was then remanded in custody and has remained on remand since.
Judge Dalziel noted the cashier said in his statement, “I don’t even remember how I felt – I was in a little bit of shock.”
The court heard O’Doherty’s explanation for the offending was that he was homeless at the time, sleeping rough around the Dandenong area.
The night before the attempted armed robbery, he had met a woman and travelled to Richmond with her.
On the way, O’Doherty gave the woman his wallet, which contained $200 cash and a Myki card, to carry in her handbag.
While in Richmond, he and the woman injected heroin together.
The court was told O’Doherty said it was the first time he had used heroin in many years.
Some time later, the woman fled, taking his wallet with her.
Stranded in Richmond with no money, O’Doherty resorted to holding up a petrol station.
The court heard O’Doherty stated he intended on using the stolen money for food and a train ticket.
Judge Dalziel acknowledged he had a “good childhood in a stable home with loving parents” in Pakenham.
In a letter written by O’Doherty to Judge Dalziel, he said he realised what he did was “very wrong” and “promised not to steal or commit an offence like this again”.
“I accept that you understand what you did was wrong and that you are sorry for it,” Judge Dalziel said in court.
In sentencing O’Doherty, Judge Dalziel took into account his guilty plea early on, in March, as well as a range of other factors including his mental health.
He was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, with a 12 month community corrections order.
O’Doherty had already served eight months and one day of pre-sentence detention.
