A MAN accused of using a glock pistol in an attempted hold up at a service station at Heatherbrae last month has pleaded guilty to setting fire to a car at Raymond Terrace and breaking into another service station and stealing $1.60, a hapless four-day crime spree a bid to flee NSW and visit family in Mackay.
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Joel Christopher Redman, 23, was arrested by Queensland police at a unit in Nolan Street, Sarina, a suburb south of Mackay, on Monday and extradited to NSW.
He did not appear in Raymond Terrace Local Court on Thursday charged with robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon, armed with intent to commit an indictable offence, possess unauthorised firearm, intentionally or recklessly damage property by fire and beak and enter and commit serious indictable offence.
He pleaded guilty to setting the fire in a Citroen C3 parked behind a church in Sturgeon Street, Raymond Terrace in the early hours of Christmas Day and breaking into the Caltex service station at Raymond Terrace on December 28.
But Mr Redman, who was represented by solicitor Kathryn Cooper, did not enter pleas in relation to the alleged armed robbery at the Metro service station at Heatherbrae on December 27.
Mr Redman, who is serving the balance of parole, did not apply for bail and all of the matters were adjourned until March 2.
Police allege it was Mr Redman who walked into the service station at Heatherbrae about 7.10pm on December 27 and asked for a packet of cigarettes before allegedly threatening the male staff member with a firearm and demanding cash and cigarettes.
Police allege Mr Redman jumped the counter before struggling with the staff member, who managed to escape the store.
The staff member then returned and the pair struggled again. Mr Redman allegedly ran from the store, jumping on a bicycle and fleeing the scene without any cash.
No customers were inside the store at the time, and no one was hurt.
Two days before the alleged armed robbery, Mr Redman was in Adelaide Street at Raymond Terrace when he set fire to a piece of cloth and threw it into a car. The fire completely destroyed the vehicle.
Mr Redman was spotted near the blaze a short time later and was spoken to by police but a witness could not be sure that he was responsible.
In the early hours of December 28, Mr Redman used a sledge hammer to smash a number of holes in the windows of a service station at Raymond Terrace and then reached into the store and stole a small jar of coins that contained $1.60.
He then fled to Queensland to avoid apprehension.
