The Entrance: Getaway driver Michael Page, 23, sentenced over ‘terrifying’ bag snatch

A 23-year-old former ice addict and father of two young children has been sentenced for his role in a “terrifying” bag snatch of a woman just walking to work.

Former ice addict and father-of-two Michael Page, 23, of Wyoming, leaving Wyong Local Court after being sentenced for a bag snatch and driving offences at The Entrance. Picture: NewsLocal

The getaway driver — who had never held a licence — involved in a “terrifying” bag snatch of a woman at The Entrance has been sentenced.

Michael Page, 23, of Killarney Vale, was using the drug “ice” daily when he was kicked out of his brother’s house and fell in with a “very poor peer group”, a court has heard.

Page faced Wyong Local Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to stealing from a person, never being licenced and failing to stop when directed by police.

The court heard Page was facing more serious charges but the Crown was unable to prove, to the requisite standard, that he knew his co-accused was going to punch the female victim in the face during the robbery.

An agreed set of facts states a woman, 41, had parked in the Duffys Rd car park at The Entrance and was walking to work along the footpath next to Coral St when she heard a car pull up at pace behind her and stop about 6.30am on Sunday, May 22, last year.

Jordan Gold, of Wyongah, has pleaded guilty to his part in a the violent robbery of a woman at The Entrance. Picture: NewsLocal

The facts state Page was driving the grey Mitsubishi two-door Lancer when one of two occupants in the car — Jordan Gold, 19, of Wyongah — got out and punched the woman in the face.

The punch caused her nose to bleed and forced the woman to fall backwards while another male in the car yelled “quick steal her bag”.

Joel Russell, 20, of Watanobbi, was the third occupant of the car at the time. Picture: Facebook

Gold grabbed the woman’s handbag, which contained a wallet, personal cards, iPhone X and a set of Ford car keys, and the three men fled in the grey Lancer.

Police were called and obtained witness statements and CCTV from a nearby cafe.

Officers also obtained CCTV from Mingara Recreation Club from earlier in the morning which showed Page, Gol and another man leaving the club in the same grey Lancer.

About 3pm police observed the car with three men inside as it travelled along Fairview Ave at The Entrance and followed it to McLachlan Ave, Long Jetty, before activating their lights and sirens.

The facts state Page initially refused to pull over but eventually did and police found the victim’s Commonwealth bank card in his shorts’ pocket along with her Billabong handbag, Rip Curl wallet and other personal effects in the car.

Page’s solicitor Damien Conn told the court his client had started smoking cannabis at the age of 11 and “ice” at the age of 13.

He said “drugs were an issue” for Page at the time of the offence and that he had fallen into a “very poor peer group” which saw him kicked out of his brother’s home for taking ice daily.

However Mr Conn said Page had remained drug free since spending two months and two days in custody charged with these offences and was back living with his brother, who the court heard was a positive influence on him.

Page was sentenced at Wyong Local Court on Monday.

Mr Conn said Page had two young children and was now working full time.

Magistrate Kirralee Perry said Page was assessed as being a low risk of reoffending if he stayed off the drugs.

“It would have been a terrifying experience for her,” Magistrate Perry said.

“The fact it was in company (with other offenders) made it more terrifying.”

She convicted Page and sentenced him to a community corrections order for two years with 150 hours of community services work.

Page was also fined $550 for driving never having held a licence and another $700 for failing to stop when directed by police.

It comes after the third man in the car at the time — Joel Russell, 20, of Watanobbi — had one count of robbery in company withdrawn and dismissed after he pleaded guilty to having a knife in a public place and possessing a prohibited drug.

He was convicted and sentenced to a community corrections order for six months and fined $200.

Gold, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to robbery in company and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company.

He will be sentenced in Gosford District Court on June 2.