KEY POINTS:
At 1.40pm on September 29, John Anthony Fraser walked into a city centre Christchurch bank carrying a backpack containing a loaded imitation Glock BB gun.
He passed a note to a woman teller saying: "Don't move, this is a robbery. Put the money in the bag."
When the teller asked if he was joking, he opened the bag and showed her the gun.
When she spoke to another teller, he left and rode his motorcycle to another bank.
At the second bank, about 30 minutes later, he used the A", wrote another note on a withdrawal slip and waited in line to see a teller.
This time he was holding the pistol when he showed the note to the teller and was given $500. He spent $20 on food, paid $190 to an associate and put $275 in a drawer.
At the time, Fraser was a 17-year-old schoolboy.
Two weeks later, and after celebrating his 18th birthday in custody, the student's plans of going to university next year were in tatters.
After pleading guilty at Christchurch District Court on Friday to five charges - armed robbery, demanding with menaces and three driving offences - Judge Stephen Erber signalled Fraser would face a hefty prison term.
Erber remanded Fraser in custody until February for sentencing.
His mother Nicola, who sat with husband Doug at every one of their son's court appearances, told the Herald on Sunday the judge's comments were "unbelievable".
The situation was "devastating", "every parent's worse nightmare".
Even the police were surprised. Detective Sergeant Darren Folau said he wasn't sure prison was the place "for a kid like that".
By that, Folau meant a young man who seemingly had it all. He described Fraser as "bright", a "good kid from a good family", with friends who were "all-round, good, decent, honest people".
Even when he was arrested he was "completely co-operative".
The Hillmorton High student was no slacker, working part-time at a Christchurch Pak'nSave.
His mother said he enjoyed reading, drawing and tinkering with cars with his two brothers and dad.
"He is a real handyman [and] a homebody. He doesn't go out and party on Friday and Saturday nights like some kids.
"His dean at school thinks the world of him," she said.
"He is just such a good kid. He would do anything for anybody."
Folau gave two reasons for Fraser's transformation from model student to trainee bank robber - financial stress and TV.
He owned a car and a motorbike and owed several thousand dollars.
"He just got up to his neck with a heap of financial problems and it all compounded.
"It all got too much for him. He had a brain explosion I guess."
Folau didn't know which TV programme had hooked Fraser, but said it was a reality show.
"It could have been one of the Australian or American ones or even our Police 10-7."
Brain explosion or not, Fraser received little sympathy from Judge Erber, who told him he committed "very serious crimes" that "could have resulted in tragedy".
He asked for probation and reparation reports and said sentencing could be brought forward if a date became available.
But he told defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger her client was "looking at far more than home detention".
"He had a pistol. People have been killed with these pistols and it was loaded."
Folau said the imitation Glock was similar to a police-issue handgun and "menacing-looking". But anyone aged 15 or over could buy one without a special licence "so that is an issue".
He said Fraser "absolutely" regretted his actions.
"He is remorseful and wants to put that right with the people he has scared," said Folau.
- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA, CHRISTCHURCH STAR
