‘Just shoot him’: Group robbed pizza delivery driver

FOUR men in a stolen car robbed a pizza delivery man at night, with one offender saying he had been on an ice bender for three weeks.

FOUR men in a stolen car robbed a pizza delivery man at night, with one offender saying he had been on an ice bender for three weeks.

Ashley Lawrence Wovat, 31, pleaded guilty on September 2 in Rockhampton District Court to one count of armed robbery in company and one of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Crown prosecutor Samantha O'Rourke said Wovat was one of the men in the stolen car which forced the pizza delivery male off the road on December 21, 2019, in Rockhampton.

"One of the men threatened the victim with what looked like a gun," she said.

The group demanded the male hand over pizza with someone saying "just shoot him".

"The group drove away with a single pizza," Ms O'Rourke said.

OTHER COURT:

Five drug raids on meth trafficker's home

Former successful businessman's fall from grace over drugs

Bad blood: What led to 'murderous over-reaction' stabbing

"It turned out it was a hockey stick held to look like a gun (pointed at the victim)."

She said the victim was able to identify Wovat.

Defence barrister Scott Moon said Wovat had not long been released from prison when the robbery took place.

He said Wovat was unemployed and had been on an ice bender for about three weeks and had "basically been awake during that period".

Mr Moon said when the victim was stopped, he would have had a mobile phone, money and other items on him the group could have taken, but they just took the pizza.

Judge Leanne Clare said when police caught up with Wovat, he told them the motivation for the robbery was hunger.

"This man was just doing his job," she said.

Mr Moon said Wovat had a long history of using drugs, starting with marijuana at 10 and moved to ice in his 20s after breaking up with his long-term partner and mother of his two children.

Ms O'Rourke said Wovat had a lengthy criminal record, spanning 14 years, including violence and possessing weapons.

Judge Clare sentenced Wovat to three years prison and declared 190 days presentence custody, activated a six-month suspended prison sentence he had breached and set parole release for February 25, 2021.