Grant Allan Cotter, of Newport, jailed for pulling knife on Aldi heroes helping woman he robbed

A man high on “ice” was carrying a knife when he assaulted heroic Aldi workers when they came to the aid of a customer who had been robbed of her mobile phone.

The Aldi supermarket at Mona Vale where two employees were assaulted by Grant Cotter when they rushed to the aid of a customer who had just been robbed of her mobile phone. Picture: Supplied

A man who threatened Sydney supermarket good Samaritans with a knife after they came to the aid of a customer he had just robbed has been jailed.

Grant Allan Cotter also punched the two male Aldi employees in the face in an effort to escape, Manly Local Court was told.

The have-a-go heroes had dashed to protect the 54-year-old woman on July 31 last year, moments after witnessing Cotter, 50, snatch the phone from her inside the store in Bungan St, Mona Vale.

The former construction worker from Newport was high on the drug “ice” (methamphetamine) at the time and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, the court heard on Thursday.

Magistrate Daniel Reiss was told Cotter believed that the woman was talking about him to the Australian national security body, ASIO, on her phone.

Grant Cotter thought a customer at the Aldi supermarket in Mona Vale was talking to ASIO about him before he snatched her phone. Picture: Google Maps

The court also heard that Cotter had been charged with snatching a phone from a woman walking in Mosman, in September 2023, because he believed she was talking to ASIO about him.

His lawyer, Patrick Schmidt, said Cotter had been using “ice” along with his schizophrenia medication.

“It snowballed into paranoid delusions,” Mr Schimdt said.

“He thought (the women) were talking to ASIO and other security institutions.”

The woman in the Mona Vale Aldi had actually been looking at a shopping list on her iPhone when Cotter rushed at her.

Cotter pleaded guilty to one count of using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention, three counts of common assault, two counts of stealing from a person, one count of destroying or damaging property and two counts of driving while disqualified.

Grant Cotter was jailed for 16 months by Manly Local Court on Thursday. (AAP IMAGE / MONIQUE HARMER)

The court heard that he punched one 46-year-old Aldi worker, who stood in front of him as he tried to leave the store.

Cotter punched another employee, aged 55, who had tackled him against the wall, before fleeing into Bungan St. He also pushed the female phone owner to the ground as she grabbed at his arm.

When he was followed by the employees, and another male member of the public, he pulled the knife from his pocket and pointed it in the direction of the men before getting behind the wheel of a BMW SUV and driving away.

“These are a very distressing set of circumstances,” Magistrate Reiss said.

“(The drugs) were frying his brain and sending him into psychotic states.”

Cotter received an aggregate sentence of 16 months’ jail with a non-parole period of eight months.

With time already spent in custody, Cotter will be eligible for release, on parole, on March 30.