Norah Head: Hayden Joseph Champion, 28, sentenced for robbing man of pokies winnings armed with hammer

A man has told a judge “I’m an idiot” for going on the run for 18 months after pleading not guilty to an armed carjacking of a pokies winner, in which his co-accused was acquitted at trial.

Hayden Champion, 28, of Hamlyn Terrace, has pleaded guilty to robbing a man with a hammer. Picture: Facebook

At just 28 years old, Hayden Joseph Champion has been through a revolving door “in and out of prison”.

But after going on the run for nearly 18 months he told a judge he’s finally sick of being in jail and wants to get a job and leave his old life of offending behind.

Champion, of Hamlyn Terrace, faced Gosford District Court on Friday after pleading guilty to armed robbery with intent and common assault.

It comes after he and a mate were sitting near Wyong Train Station on April 10, 2022, when they got talking to a man they had never met, who had just won money on the pokies.

An agreed set of facts state the three men went to another pub for a few drinks and then to Norah Head, stopping at a bottle shop and to pick up a female friend of Champion’s.

Champion was sentenced to an ICO in Gosford District Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

The court heard the man wanted to find somewhere to sleep but they wanted him to drive the woman back.

At some point the man couldn’t find his pokie winnings and told the trio they were not going anywhere until he found it.

Hayden Champion, 28, of Hamlyn Terrace, has pleaded guilty to robbing a man of his pokie winnings with a hammer. Picture: Facebook

The facts state Champion got a hammer out of the man’s boot and waved it in a striking manner towards the victim’s head, while his mate told the man he probably left it at the beach.

On the way back they drove past roadworks on Wilfred Barrett Drive where the man, who was now seated in the front passenger seat, tried to get the attention of workers before pulling on the wheel and causing the car to crash into a concrete barrier.

Champion, seated behind him, grabbed his shoulders in an attempt to stop him.

Police arrived a short time later and found Champion and his mate hiding in the bush and the hammer in the foot well of the back seat.

The court heard Champion had been released on parole about two months earlier over an unrelated affray at Doyalson in which he was stabbed “several times”.

Champion and his mate were charged with aggravated robbery with an offensive weapon, robbery in company and carjacking the victim’s car.

Champion and his mate were found hiding in the bush after the owner managed to grab the steering wheel. Picture: Google

The robbery offences were withdrawn and they were given a trial date in August 2023 for the aggravated assault with the intention of stealing a car allegation.

However the court heard once Champion got bail he fled to Queensland while his mate was later acquitted at trial.

Giving evidence Champion told Judge David Wilson he fled to Queensland because “I’m an idiot” and he realised “I would have been” acquitted as well.

The court heard after he served a short sentence for domestic violence offences in QLD he was returned to NSW where “negotiations” resulted in a new indictment, on which he pleaded guilty.

Judge Wilson said Champion had been in custody for 458 days since, of which 230 were directly referable to the armed robbery and assault of the pokie winner.

Judge Wilson accepted Champion was finally ready to “turn his life around” and that sentencing him to further jail was “not working” and risked Champion becoming institutionalised.

Judge Wilson gave him two options, release him on a 14-month intensive correction order (ICO) or sentence him to jail, which with time served, would only be a couple more months.

Champion chose the ICO knowing that if he breached it he would serve the remainder of the order in custody, which would end up being longer than if he chose a jail sentence.