Kenan Dustin Charles Roberts pleads guilty to attempted armed robbery in Bundaberg

A Bundaberg court has heard how a teen with a meth problem turned to violence in get money from a neighbour.

Kenan Dustin Charles Roberts.

A judge has hit out at the “evil drug” meth as she sentenced a teenager over an attempted armed robbery.

Kenan Dustin Charles Roberts was just 18 when he visited a neighbour who owed him $60 and threatened him with a knife.

The Bundaberg District Court was told on Tuesday Roberts was carrying a steak knife in his bum bag when he visited his victim in Avenell Heights on August 9, 2022.

More court and crime news 

When the victim told Roberts he didn’t have the money, Roberts said: “You better get me the money or I’ll stab you” before the victim went to another neighbour’s place under the guise of getting the money.

Instead, he called for help.

When police caught up with Roberts, he made full admissions to the offending.

The black steak knife was in his bum bag and Roberts told police he would become stressed about not having his money returned.

Roberts had only been out of prison for prior offending four days before the attack.

Barrister William Prizeman said his client had ADD and ADHD and was in the grips of a meth addiction at the time.

He said his client had since made “positive steps” in the six months he’d spent in prison since the attempted armed robbery.

The court heard Roberts was studying a literacy and numeracy program in prison and had signed up for another program on substance abuse.

He pleaded guilty to one count of attempted armed robbery.

In sentencing, Judge Leanne Clare warned the defendant not to fall back into drug use upon his release.

“You tried to rob your neighbour,” she said.

“(Meth) is an evil drug and it is a real problem in our community.”

Roberts was told things could have easily escalated.

“A knife in the equation is a very bad thing,” Judge Clare said.

For the attempted armed robbery, Roberts was sentenced to 12 months’ prison, with the six months already served not counted as it had been activated by prior offending.

He was eligible for parole immediately.