THE hammer-wielding duo who robbed a Mount Gambier service station late last year appeared in court yesterday for sentencing submissions.
Brett Andrew Jusup, 26 and Frederick Ronald Fenton, 28, appeared in the Mount Gambier District Court after pleading guilty to a charge of committing theft using force for robbing a Penola Road service station on November 8 last year.
The court heard how the robbers debated over covering their faces with bandannas before grabbing a hammer each from the boot of their car.
They entered the service station at around 1.20am where Fenton went behind the counter and threatened the service station attendant with a hammer.
Jusup grabbed cigarettes from a counter before both men fled with $345 cash and cigarettes to the value of around $630.
A victim impact statement was read to court describing the effect the robbery has had on the service station attendant.
In it the attendant describes how fearful his partner and he have become after the incident.
Police arrested both men after reviewing security camera footage and finding forensic evidence at the scene.
Yesterday court proceedings revealed both men had criminal backgrounds with Jusup being involved in assaults and carrying an offensive weapon.
New Zealand born Fenton moved to Australia in 2015 and has a criminal history in his home country.
Both men have used cannabis in the past and went to buy the drug after the robbery.
Fenton had been abusing cannabis and methamphetamine for years and smoked ice on the night of the robbery.
However, he has been off drugs since being imprisoned.
Lawyers representing the defendants told the court both were extremely ashamed of their actions and were ready to make a new start in life.
They have been behind bars since their arrest in November last year.
The case was adjourned to June 28 for sentencing.
