Two men involved in series of break-ins and robberies face court

Two men involved in a number of serious break and enters, including the robbery of a Yamba service station and the theft of a safe from a Maclean cafe, have been sentenced

Jack Edwards, 21, and Aaron Oscar Glaser, 24, have been convicted over a 2019 crime spree across the Lower Clarence.

The two men involved in a number of serious break and enters and robberies of homes and businesses in 2019 have been sentenced.

Jack Edwards, 21, and Aaron Oscar Glaser, 24, both fronted Lismore District Court on Friday after earlier this year entering pleas to the charges.

Glaser, who was facing six counts on the indictment, plead guilty to four charges of aggravated break and enter dwelling in company, robbery, enter dwelling with intent to steal and aggravated break and enter to commit serious indictable offence while Edwards plead guilty to three counts of break and entering a dwelling to commit larceny in circumstances of aggravation while in company.

According to court documents, about 9.15pm on September 19 2019 Glaser entered the Caltex service station in Yamba and while holding a set of keys told the console operator “give me all the money in the till or I’m coming across the counter”.

Court documents reveal Glaser fled with $385 in cash, and shortly after officers from Coffs/Clarence Police District arrived where CCTV footage was recovered, capturing Glaser in distinctive clothing.

The police facts state from there Glaser and Edwards then committed a series of break and enters in a crime spree that went on until through the night of September 19 and early hours of September 20.

At about 11pm on September 19 the owner of Yamba Pawnbrokers, who was asleep in a unit at the rear of the shop, was woken by a loud banging sound coming from the front of the store. Court documents reveal he went to the shop and confronted Glaser and Edwards, and the pair fled out a large hole that had been smashed into the glass window of the shop front holding two electric guitars.

The court was told the pair then went to the Italian on the Hill restaurant in Yamba, where the court documents reveal that Glaser was a former employee. At about 12.05am an employee of the restaurant was leaving a nearby hotel when they heard the sound of a side gate opening and found Glaser and Edwards at the top of the stairs near the restaurant’s rear door, which had been opened.

Aaron Oscar Glaser, 24, and Jack Edwards, 21, have been convicted over a 2019 crime spree across the Lower Clarence.

The employee yelled out and tried to stop them, but after a short struggle the pair were able to flee from the scene with $300 and an iPad.

The two men then went on to Maclean when at about 1.30am they broke into Botero and took a safe out from the premises which contained around $4000, as well as an iPad and alcohol.

Police arrived at the scene in the early hours of September 20, where CCTV footage was recovered and captured Glaser wearing the same clothes as what was captured the preview night on the Caltex CCTV footage. There was also blood at the scene which investigators were able to DNA match with both Glaser and Edwards.

Glaser then went on to break in to three holiday homes in Iluka and Woombah, with court documents revealing that at about 6am on September 20 the elderly residents of a holiday house in Iluka woke to hear a rustling noise. The victim noticed blood on the carpet and floor before she felt a push to her shoulder. Court documents state she saw a figure with a scarf over his head limp out of the garage and under a roller door.

The court documents state at about 12.20pm on September 20 police were waiting for a search warrant and conducting a briefing on how a search would be conducted when they saw a white Holden Commodore turn towards them. The vehicle was known to be registered to Glaser, and police saw two males sitting in the front seat of the vehicle. Court documents reveal police stopped the vehicle and after questioning the two men various stolen items were recovered from the vehicle, including iPhones, iPads, clothes, a metal safe, guitars and cash.

In court last week Edwards was convicted and sentenced to a two year intensive correction order, including 150 hours community service. Glaser was also convicted and sentenced to a three year intensive correction order. Both offenders were ordered to abstain from illicit and non-prescribed drugs as well as participate in any program, treatment, intervention or related activity specified in this order or by a Community Corrections Officer.