KEY POINTS:
A topless bar owner says the courts are too soft on criminals after the latest gunpoint robbery in Manurewa.
A man walked into Jo's Place in the South Mall Shopping Centre yesterday with a sawn off shotgun and stole $4000 after threatening to shoot the barman and a customer.
Bar owner Jo van Hulst said today it was the second time the barman had faced an armed robber in 18 months. He was "quite rattled" and was given the day off.
Ms van Hulst said while police were doing their job they were not getting the support they needed.
"There should be stiffer penalties on first offenders. Do the crime and do the time."
She said young offenders should go to a youth borstal and adult criminals should go to jail and "find out it's not a piece of cake".
The gunman was described as a Maori wearing a light cap with a bandanna over his face, a leather jacket, jeans and with long hair.
Ms van Hulst said in the previous raid the gunman fired a BB gun when the barman, a former soldier, refused to hand over money.
"They got nothing but this time it was a sawn off shotgun."
Ms van Hulst said she had instructed her staff to hand over money and not argue if anyone threatened them with a weapon.
She said other bars in Manurewa had also been hit by armed robbers.
The bar was at the centre of controversy earlier this year when waitresses went topless on Thursdays.
Several Manukau City councillors, including New Zealand 1500 metre Olympic running legend John Walker, called for it to be shut down.
- NZPA
