Jail term skimpy: Robbery victim

The victim of a robbery believes his assailant got off lightly in his jail sentence.

A Whangarei dairy owner robbed by a man wielding what he thought was a gun has condemned the robber's three-year jail sentence.

The businessman, who didn't want to be named, owns Korna Store dairy on Morningside Rd, which Chase Hemara robbed of $290 in cash on February 19.

Hemara, 21, was this week sentenced in the Whangarei District Court after earlier admitting one charge of aggravated robbery and three of shoplifting. Hemara committed the robbery while serving a sentence of supervision.

Judge John McDonald said the dairy owner was stocking shelves when Hemara walked in wearing sunglasses and a T-shirt across his face.

Hemara, who had a broomstick concealed in dark clothes, threw a bag on the counter and demanded cash.

Judge McDonald said the shop owner thought Hemara had a firearm and handed over $290 from the till. Hemara then ran to a getaway car on Kaka St.

It was the second armed robbery of the dairy in less than two years and its owner said the crimes had a major emotional impact on his family.

In a victim-impact statement submitted to the court, he said he feared Hemara would shoot him and still felt scared when people entered his shop.

Commenting on the sentence, the shopkeeper said: "He [Hemara] has already spent two to three months in custody, which will be taken into account, so the actual time he'll spend in jail would be less than three years. The sentence for such offending should be higher, otherwise people will come out of prison and do the same thing again."

In court, lawyer Lucy Postlewaight said Hemara had written a letter of apology and attended courses while on remand.

The judge said Hemara's disguise showed his planning and preparation had been sophisticated.

The shoplifting charges related to thefts from three retailers.

-During the first robbery, in June 2012, one of three robbers held a machete to the couple in front of their son, 9.