Joobin Rafii and Nima Saboohian guilty to following, assaulting and robbing an elderly woman

As an 85-year-old celebrated winning $6000 at the pokies, security footage reveals two men were watching. They would later follow her home.

In the early hours of August 21, 2019, amid the flashing lights and trilling noises of a pokies parlour, an 85-year-old woman hit the jackpot.

As the widow pocketed more than $6000 in winnings, she had no idea she was not the only one watching as the money was counted in $50 notes.

Not far away two men were watching and, less than six hours later, they would be at her home stealing the cash from a dining room cabinet and from the inside of a ceramic duck.

But the woman did not give up the winnings without a fight, battering him with a shoe.

Joobin Rafii, 42, and Nima Saboohian, 41, both from Woodcroft, were charged over the robbery and assault the elderly victim.

Saboohian pleaded guilty on the eve of his trial while Rafii went before a jury earlier this month.

The jury heard that the victim, who was born in 1936, lived in a self-contained unit in a caravan park in Woodcroft.

As was her habit at the time, the victim would occasionally venture from the property and attend the Woodcroft Hotel to play the pokies. On August 19, 2019 she arrived at the hotel in the early evening and at around 8pm won a $500 jackpot.

She happily collected her earnings and kept on gambling late into the evening.

Security cameras at the hotel captured the arrival of Rafii and Saboohian at around 12.15am. The pair roamed aimlessly around the gaming room before picking a pokies machine next to the victim.

Nima Saboohian pleaded guilty to robbing an 85-year-old woman of $6500 of pokies winnings. Picture: Facebook.

After ten minutes the pair moved on but eventually came back to another machine on her other side.

Even after moving to a third machine one or other of the pair would walk behind the victim, casting furtive glances at her.

The victim left the Woodcroft Hotel at closing time and made her way to the Lonsdale Hotel.

“I had nobody waiting for me at home, I just preferred to be among people,” she told the jury.

Once there, the pair once again appeared and begun watching the victim again.

Joobin Rafii was found guilty by a jury of robbing an 85-year-old woman of $6500 of pokies winnings. Picture: Facebook.

This time the victim won big, hitting a $5999.03 jackpot.

At around 4.30am, the victim decided to head home.

On her way she noticed she was driving behind a “large, box-shaped car” which pulled out in front of her when she left the hotel car park.

After a short time the car was behind her. After the victim turned into the caravan park where she lived, the other car kept driving straight.

After parking her car next to her cabin, she made herself a cup of tea. She secreted the majority of the cash in the cutlery draw of a dresser in the dining room. She placed $500 inside of a ceramic duck on top of the cabinet.

“That money was earmarked for my park fees the following week,” she said.

Nima Saboohian watches his 85-year-old woman victim who he would later rob of her pokies winnings. Picture Courts Administration Authority.

Joobin Rafii watches his 85-year-old woman victim who he would later rob of her pokies winnings. Picture Courts Administration Authority.

Shortly after 7am, she was woken by a knock at her bedroom window. She answered the front door to a man who said he was checking the water pressure at the park.

She showed him the external water valves and went back to bed. A short time later there was another knock at the window.

“I was getting a bit irate and I wanted to know what he wanted and because I couldn’t hear him I asked him to come to the front door,” she told the jury.

“He asked me if he could check under the vanity in my bedroom, I didn’t see any harm in it really, because water in a park so many people depend on has to be fixed quickly.

“Suddenly somebody rushed in. I didn’t have even have the chance to look at the person who pushed me up against the door which opened up,” she said.

“When I took my shoes off, I parked them in front of the chest of drawers, heavy leather, clunky heels and I grabbed that one and I tried to hit him over my shoulder.

“He took it off me and just chucked it on the floor.”

Joobin Rafii and Nima Saboohian watches his 85-year-old woman victim who he would later rob of her pokies winnings. Picture: Courts Administration Authority.

She said the man was holding her down with a hand over her mouth for as long as half an hour before fleeing.

“I tried to call for help but because most of my neighbours wear hearing aids and it was early in the morning I didn’t get anywhere.”

Later, when the police had gone, she noticed the cutlery draw was slightly open

“I stood up and went and had a look and realised the money was gone,” she said.

“I opened it looked and said ‘oh no’ and then I looked in the duck and it was another ‘oh no’.”

Cable ties found in the house shared by Joobin Rafii and Nima Saboohian who robbed an 85-year-old woman of $6500 of pokies winnings. Picture: Courts Administration Authority.

Left behind by the intruders were a baseball cap, capsicum spray, box of disposable gloves and cable ties.

Police arrested both men on August 24 after tracing their car.

Officers seized similar clothing and cable ties joined together in the same way as those at the victim’s house.

Rafii had scratches on his arm and DNA taken from the victim’s face was highly likely to be his.

The jury unanimously found Rafii guilty of aggravated counts of assault and robbery. Both men were remanded in custody and will face court again next week.

Originally published as Joobin Rafii and Nima Saboohian guilty to following, assaulting and robbing an elderly woman