Troy Moses Zane Tuporo-Messina chased down the street after botched Chinese takeaway robbery

A robber who stormed a Townsville Chinese takeaway shop was given a rude awakening when the owner chased after him down the street with a soft drink can.

A man who attempted to rob a Townsville Chinese takeaway shop before being chased off by the owner wielding a can of soft drink has cried during his sentencing.

Troy Moses Zane Tuporo-Messina, 29, stormed into the takeaway on September 1 last year, with a hoodie covering his face and armed with a tyre iron and another unknown weapon.

He demanded money before the owner called for help from other employees who yelled at him to leave.

As Tuporo-Messina fled on foot, the shop owner chased him out the door with a can of soft drink, the court heard.

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On Friday, a tearful Tuporo-Messina appeared in Townsville District Court via a video link from Capricornia Correctional Centre.

Crown prosecutor Edward Coker said that three days after the incident police narrowly avoided a head-on collision with Tuporo-Messina.

“He was seen to be driving at high speed, almost 100km/h over the speed limit in excess of 150km/h,” Mr Coker said.

“He was on the wrong side of the road while he was overtaking the truck and was coming directly towards them (the police).”

Mr Coker said police pursued the father of four before calling off the chase due to the high speeds.

Eight days later, in the early hours of September 12, Tuporo-Messina stole $3000 from a club in Gladstone. Police arrested him later that day at his mother’s Gladstone home and found $755, the keys to the club and a drug pipe.

Tuporo-Messina pleaded guilty to eight charges including attempted robbery and has spent 435 days in custody.

Defence barrister Travis Schmitt said his client had a long-standing addiction to methamphetamine and was “going through a bit of a rough patch with his partner”.

“He had come up from Rockhampton to Townsville to visit his family and while the visit was amicable for a period, that relationship has deteriorated … and things began to spiral,” he said.

“While taking methamphetamine, he decided it would be a good idea to attempt to get more money for drugs.”

Judge Vicki Loury told Tuporo-Messina “there was a real risk” to the employees of the Chinese shop and motorists.

“It was no doubt terrifying for the employees of that store and they all acted very bravely refusing to give you money and chasing you from the store,” she said.

“Your driving offence in Gladstone was extremely serious; you put the lives of innocent road users at risk.”

Judge Loury sentenced Tuporo-Messina to three years in jail with immediate parole, given the time he has already spent in custody.

He was disqualified from holding a drivers’ licence for two years.

Originally published as Troy Moses Zane Tuporo-Messina chased down the street after botched Chinese takeaway robbery