Radan Achman pleads guilty to armed robbery at Helensvale Tavern’s bottle shop

A substance-abusing Gold Coast man who has spent more than two years in prison has admitted to robbing a bottle shop while armed with a kitchen knife. Here’s what happened in court.

Helensvale Tavern bottle-shop, which Radan Robert Achman robbed while armed with a kitchen knife on May 4, 2023. Picture: Helensvale Tavern

A pill-popping Gold Coast man who has spent more than two years in prison has admitted to robbing a pub bottle-o while armed with a kitchen knife.

Southport man Radan Robert Achman, 34, appeared via audiovisual link in Southport District Court on Tuesday, June 24, where he pleaded guilty to armed robbery, obstructing police, and possessing a restricted medicine.

The armed robbery was committed at about 5.15pm on May 4, 2023, the court heard.

Achman’s victim was an employee of the Helensvale Tavern’s bottle shop.

The defendant approached the bottle shop wearing a cap and face mask and confronted the employee, who was collapsing cardboard boxes, before producing a large kitchen knife from his pants.

While Achman was attempting to access the till, a customer pulled up, but fled and called police after the defendant began waving the knife around, the court heard.

Achman was able to access the till and he took the cash drawer, containing about $370, before decamping in the direction of the nearby Westfield Helensvale, where CCTV depicted him enter a vehicle’s passenger side and drive off.

Helensvale Tavern. Picture: Facebook

Police took up with Achman later that day at a makeshift campsite at Southport, where he was found in possession of clothing seen on the CCTV, as well as Jurnista, a powerful opioid painkiller.

A knife matching the description of the one used in the armed robbery was found in a nearby tree hollow.

Officers were unable to interview Achman due to his level of intoxication on a cocktail of alcohol and illicit substances.

The court heard Achman, who had a five-page Queensland criminal history, had spent 777 days in pre-sentence custody since the offence date.

His criminal history, which included previous entries for possessing a knife in a public place and possessing weapons, also included an attempted armed robbery with threats of violence, committed against a chemist on September 5, 2014, during which he stole Jurnista – the same painkillers he was found with at the makeshift campsite.

Defence counsel Nick McGhee told the court his client had significant mental health issues, commencing in his early twenties when he began experiencing schizophrenic and psychotic episodes, exacerbated by ongoing substance abuse.

Achman had been treated on-and-off over the years, but was not medicated at the time of the offence, Mr McGhee said.

Judge Jodie Woodridge KC sentenced Achman to 30 months’ imprisonment, with immediate court-ordered parole, taking into account the pre-sentence custody.

However, Achman would not be released on Tuesday, as he has other matters before the court, Judge Woodridge said.

Originally published as Radan Achman pleads guilty to armed robbery at Helensvale Tavern’s bottle shop