Malakye Logan Barker pleads guilty to armed robbery at Beerwah Tobacconist

A man has subjected a lone woman worker to a ‘terrifying’ Sunshine Coast hinterland robbery and bungles his attempt to conceal his identity.

Malakye Logan Barker faced Maroochydore District Court on Friday. Picture: David Clark

Closed circuit television has revealed the moment a Kuluin man menacingly robbed a lone woman tobacconist employee for several hundred dollars.

Malakye Logan Barker taunted the woman after taking the money from her during the violent incident at a Beerwah tobacco shop on March 14 last year.

During his sentence for armed robbery in the Maroochydore District Court on Friday, security footage shown by Crown prosecutor Caleb Theunissen depicted the terrifying incident.

In the footage the 30-year-old walked into the shop with a hoodie on and a face covering, where you could only see his eyes.

Mr Theunissen said the 30-year-old told the woman “give me your money”.

Barker walked around the entrance of the counter and confronted the 48-year-old victim as she tried to block him from entering. He threw a cigarette lighter to the floor and yelled again “give me your f---ing money”.

He walked behind the counter as he held up a 20cm knife. She then opened the till for the Kuluin man. He stole between $400 to $500.

Malakye Logan Barker.

“You didn’t have any money huh,” he told the victim and he ran from the store.

Mr Theunissen said the woman called police. Officers found the knife in a wheelie bin nearby however the CCTV could not identify him due to his face covering.

Police had a breakthrough when other security footage in the area showed Barker getting dressed in the clothing before he carried out the robbery.

An arrest warrant was issued a week later and the 30-year-old attended Maroochydore Police Station on a separate warrant on March 27 last year where he was arrested.

He was taken into custody and spent almost a year on remand before he pleaded guilty to armed robbery in court on Friday.

He pleaded guilty in court. Picture: David Clark

Due to Barker’s age and his criminal history, which was littered with violence, drug, property and nuisance offences, Mr Theunissen said the 30-year-old should be jailed for between three and a half to four years for the “amateurish robbery”.

Defence barrister Mark Dixon said Barker came from a prejudicial upbringing and a traumatic early life which led to substance use and mental health issues.

Judge Terry Gardiner said it would have been a “terrifying event” for the woman.

“You really upset the victim of your offending, she was crying … I have no doubt she would be significantly traumatised by what she had to put up with from you,” he said.

Barker was jailed for three years but due to some time served, he will be released on parole on March 26.