Bungling dairy robber locked away

Rikki John Warren's dairy robbery was a complete failure, and so was his explanation.

He gave up his defence during his trial, after his girlfriend struggled to back up his bizarre tale.

As crown prosecutor Catherine Dalzell put it: "She looked like she was about to collapse in the witness box from having to sustain the story he was making up."

Warren continued to claim that people came to his house, held a knife to his girlfriend's throat, and made him do the robbery, but late in the trial he pleaded guilty when the charge was dropped to attempted robbery.

At Warren's sentencing in Christchurch District Court today, Judge Michael Crosbie described his explanation as ludicrous.

"It was clear from your evidence that you were not telling the truth. You were caught out under cross-examination many times."

The 21-year-old unemployed man already has convictions on his record for possessing a knife and assault with a weapon.

The court was told he left school young, his cognitive ability at the low-average range of intellectual functioning.

He was a heavy cannabis user, and experimented with methamphetamine, LSD, herbal highs, ritalin and magic mushrooms.

He went to an inner-city Christchurch dairy with an imitation knife he had carved, and disguised himself with a scarf.

He pulled the knife and demanded money but lost his nerve and fled when the woman dairy owner screamed. She had already recognised him as a regular customer.

As he ran away, a fire engine drove by and the firemen caught him. He omitted to tell them or the police that his girlfriend was being held hostage. Judge Crosbie said the victim had been robbed before. She was fearful and the business had been sold, causing financial stress for the family. She was now worried for her family and continually checked their house.

"That's the legacy you have left this woman.

"The principal feature of deterrence is to send a very strong message to you and others like you that dairies and petrol stations are not targets.

"They should not been seen as an easy means of getting money for those who need it for drug debts, or to buy drugs, or for a quick fix.

"They should not be seen as targets because the courts will take a strong approach even for 21-year-olds who carry out this sort of crime.

"This has had a significant effect on your victim and we are reading and seeing too much of it in this district. That message needs to be sent out loud and clear."

Defence counsel Paul Johnson said his client was immature and naive and asked for a sentence of two years or less so that home detention could be sought, but Judge Crosbie jailed Warren for two-and-a-half years.

- NZPA