Steven William Dewey faces court for servo armed robbery

An Ipswich man has reappeared in a southeast Queensland court for armed robbery after being sentenced to 24 years’ jail for similar convictions.

Steven William Dewey held a 10cm knife for robbery in a petrol station, a court heard. File picture

An Ipswich man has returned to court to face armed robbery charges after being handed a combined 24-year sentence for previous convictions.

Steven William Dewey, 55, was charged with one count of armed robbery with actual violence.

The Redbank Plains man faced the Ipswich District Court on Thursday, July 25, where he pleaded guilty.

The court heard he was disguised in a balaclava when he entered a petrol station, pointed a knife at the attendant and demanded money.

The court was told that the knife was 10cm long and that the defendant took an estimated $1000.

Judge Benedict Power said Dewey had an extensive criminal history and was handed long jail sentences in 1997, 2008 and 2018.

He described his history as “unbelievably” similar.

“Although this (last armed robbery) is marginally less serious than the last set of offending, I am obliged by law to treat your prior convictions,’’ he told Dewey.

“You did perform relatively briefly well on parole before the wheels fell off and you were plainly using methamphetamine according to (parole officers’) testing.”

The court was told Dewey had a traumatic childhood and started using drugs as a teenager.

“I hope that with work from you … that you can jump through the hoops, which won’t be easy to convince the parole authorities to give you a final chance, so you can have that bridge from prison to not being under orders,” Judge Power said.

He sentenced Dewey to three years’ jail with immediate parole eligible after taking into account the 572 days he had spent in custody.