Man receives community based order after holding up Warnbro petrol station for attention

A MAN has pleaded guilty to holding up a petrol station with a knife in order to deliberately gain police attention.

The man, who the Courier has chosen not to identify due to mental health concerns, appeared at Rockingham Magistrates Court last Friday where he entered a guilty plea to carrying an article with intent to cause fear to someone and stealing.

The prosecutor said the incident happened just after 8pm last Thursday at a service station on Warnbro Sound Avenue.

She said the man walked in and told the attendant to call police or he would hold-up the store.

He grabbed a sandwich and Mars bars, which he ate despite not paying, while he waited for the police.

The man spoke to police and told them he was armed with a knife and if they did not attend, he would hold-up the store.

The duty lawyer asked Magistrate Leanne Atkins to consider the man’s needs and place him on a Community Based Order (CBO).

Magistrate Atkins agreed but did ask the man if he was aware of the fear he had caused.

“It was very scary for those people, do you have any idea of how scared they must have been?” she said.

The man said he had seen the store attendant’s eyes light up and said “she got real worried”.

“Yeah I did think how she would feel but I was real calm,” he said.

Magistrate Atkins said she was concerned about the man and would therefore place him on a CBO with programs.

“If you need to get help again this is not the way to do it,” she said.

“You could have been facing a very serious charge.”

She also ordered he pay $8.80 for the food taken and serve 50 hours of community service work.

If you or a loved one are in need of help with mental health issues call lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 46 36.