Gracemere pizza shop robber Trinity Sarah Robert located on highway with knife

A young woman armed herself with a knife before carrying out a string of offences, including a shocking armed robbery at a Domino’s Pizza store.

Trinity Sarah Roberts, 20, , dressed in black clothing and wearing a face mask to conceal her identity, entered the Gracemere Dominoes store on Middle Road on March 21, 2022, while her defacto partner was the ‘lookout’, standing across the road.

A young woman armed herself with a knife before brandishing it at pizza store employees and demanding cash she would later use on alcohol.

Trinity Sarah Roberts pleaded guilty in Rockhampton District Court on Wednesday to one count of armed robbery.

Crown prosecutor Tessa Wormsley said Roberts, dressed in black clothing and wearing a face mask to conceal her identity, entered the Gracemere Domino’s store on Middle Road on March 21, 2022, while her defacto partner was the ‘lookout’ across the road.

The 20-year-old was armed with a small steak knife that she brandished at the pizza shop employees just before 8pm.

Judge Jeff Clarke said Roberts told the employees “give me the money or you’ll die”.

Roberts was given $90 out of the cash register and left the store.

The armed robbery was captured on CCTV.

Ms Wormsley said Roberts’s defacto partner, 27, told police the knife was Roberts’s idea and they had spent the money on alcohol at BWS the next day.

The court heard the man had been charged in relation to the robbery, and his indictment had yet to be presented to the district court.

Ms Wormsley said Roberts had previously been sentenced for kicking a hole in a wall after an argument with her defacto, then locking herself in a bathroom threatening to harm others and herself.

Roberts was placed on probation for 18 months for that offending and was subject to the order at the time of the latest offending.

Ms Wormsley said the next knife incident occurred two days after the armed robbery.

“Police were called as the defendant was armed with a knife on the Capricorn Highway at Gracemere,” she said.

Capricorn Highway - Rockhampton to Gracemere section. generic

Ms Wormsley said police located Roberts with her defacto and carrying a large hunting knife.

“While speaking with police, she expressed suicidal thoughts and was detained under an emergency examination authority,” she said.

“While police attempted to restrain her, she bit and kicked multiple officers.”

Ms Wormsley said Roberts was jailed for nine months for the highway offending, with parole release on June 23, 2022.

However, she was remanded in custody after that date waiting for the armed robbery matter to be finalised.

Defence barrister Scott Moon said his client planned to move away from Rockhampton when released from jail.

He said she was born in Bundaberg and attended Hervey Bay State High School.

Mr Moon said she described her childhood as “unstable and traumatic” with her mother an alcoholic and verbally abusive.

Defence barrister Scott Moon leaving Rockhampton courthouse.

Mr Moon said Roberts, who has been diagnosed with a foetal alcohol spectrum disorder along with intellectual impairment and borderline personality disorder, recalls her first suicidal thoughts occurring when she was about 10 years old.

He said she admits she abused alcohol around the time of the offending.

“She was drinking excessively for some time leading up to it,” Mr Moon said.

Roberts was jailed for three years, with declared 217 days presentence custody declared and a parole date set for December 5, 2022.