Piyabut Panya, Jarryd Miller: Men sentenced for violent robbery of poker game at Wolli Creek unit

The men stole more than $10,000 from those attending a poker game at a Wolli Creek unit in 2020, while one man was shot in the face. Find out what happened in court.

Two mates have been jailed for a combined 15 years after a man was shot in the mouth, another man struck in the head and more than $10,000 was stolen from an informal poker game in a Wolli Creek unit.

Piyabut Panya, 25, and Jarryd Miller, 26, both pleaded guilty to a range of charges relating to the robbery and assaults in June 2020.

Judge Andrew Scotting sentenced the men in Downing Centre Court last month.

Panya was sentenced to eight years in prison with a non-parole period of four years and nine months, while Miller was jailed for seven years with a non-parole period of four years.

Jarryd Miller and Piyabut Panya were arrested after a man was shot in the face during an armed robbery at Wolli Creek. Picture: NSW Police

Judge Scotting said the crime involved actual violence and threats of death and reprisal attacks.

He noted it was committed for financial gain and the amount stolen exceeded $10,000.

“The offences involved some planning in telephone calls over a number of days and the involvement of an ‘inside’ man and a dedicated getaway driver,” he said.

“The offenders targeted the poker game where they anticipated that the players would be in possession of significant sums of cash.

“(Guangyu) Wang suffered serious injuries that will have a lifelong impact on him.”

The co-accused in this matter are a 36-year-old man and Jason Kim, 25.

Kim was charged with, and pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to serious indictable offence, robbery in company. He was sentenced to a two year community correction order.

Piyabut Panya and Jarryd Miller both pleaded guilty to a range of charges relating to the robbery and assaults in June 2020. Picture: NSW Police

The other man has been charged with five counts of being in company during robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon and one count of being in company during an assault with intent to rob while armed with a dangerous weapon.

He has pleaded not guilty with the case going to trial next May.

Agreed statements of facts, summarised in Judge Scotting’s online judgment, said Mr Wang invited men to his Wolli Creek unit to play poker in June 2020.

Mr Wang regularly hosted poker games and had played poker with the 36-year-old man on a number of occasions, and said he would attend the game on June 13, the court heard.

Police intercepted calls between Miller and Panya discussing a plan to rob a poker game about 8pm that night, referring to Kim as the intended driver, the court heard.

The court heard, Kim picked up Miller and Panya from the latter’s home before travelling to Mr Wang’s unit.

About 8.30pm, the 36-year-old man arrived at the unit complex and allegedly spoke to Panya and Miller.

The men were charged in 2020. Picture: NSW Police

The court heard the man and Miller allegedly walked towards the unit block before the man allegedly used the intercom to seek entry with Miller following closely behind.

Miller then opened a fire door allowing Panya to enter before they went to Wang’s unit.

The court heard Panya pointed a gun at Mr Wang, who opened the door.

One of the men yelled, “hands up” and “get on the ground” before Panya demanded money, the court heard.

He pointed a gun at another man who was attending the game and yelled, “I am going to kill you, take everything out”.

The man was scared and removed $500 in cash from his pocket, threw it on the floor and said, “please, please, I give you everything”.

Panya then struck the man in the head causing him to bleed, the court heard.

The other occupants of the unit were cowering under the poker table before Mr Wang confronted Miller and Panya and said, “don’t hurt anyone, I’ll give you the money”.

Panya, who was still holding a gun, struggled with Mr Wang and the firearm went off, hitting Mr Wang in the mouth, coming to rest in the back of his jaw.

The bullet removed several of Mr Wang’s front teeth, a portion of his jaw, caused several fractures and some of his teeth landed on the poker table.

The other occupants threw their mobile phones and wallets towards Miller and Panya before one of them kicked another man.

Miller and Panya collected the items and cash into a backpack and told the men not to call police.

They left the unit and ran to the fire exit, discarding several of the mobile phones before they got into the car and drove away.

Two men had between $4000 and $5000 stolen, another had $1000 in cash taken along with bank cards and identification, while two others handed over about $600 in cash, and another man gave a bag containing a couple of thousand dollars in cash.

Mr Wang attended St George Hospital where he received treatment for his injuries which included a fractured mandible, a laceration to his tongue, missing teeth and a wound to the gingiva, which provides a seal around the teeth.

Mr Wang required surgery to remove a bullet fragment from his jaw and to insert arch bars plates and screws, which were removed in a later surgery.

Miller was arrested at a house in Pemulwuy on June 24, 2020 with police locating the clothing he wore during the robbery.

On the same day, Panya was arrested at his home in Homebush where officers located a backpack that later tested positive for gunshot residue.

Panya pleaded guilty to recklessly causing grievous bodily harm in company; attempted robbery in company armed with a dangerous weapon and two counts of robbery in company armed with a dangerous weapon.

Miller pleaded guilty to assault with intent to rob in company armed with a dangerous weapon and two counts of robbery in company armed with a dangerous weapon.

The court heard Miller told a psychologist he got involved in the incident because he was “hanging around the wrong people”, and had originally agreed to support his friend who had a disagreement with one of the people who attended the poker game but had not taken a weapon.

He said he had a traumatic childhood, and at the time was behaving erratically and using cocaine, while not working due to Covid lockdowns.

The court also heard he had mental health issues and previously had breakdowns.

Miller has support from his mother and an offer of full time employment as an apprentice electrician, and has abstained from drugs and has been in good health since being in prison.

Meanwhile, Panya was born in Thailand and arrived in Australia with his family at age one before he grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs.

He told a psychologist about his traumatic childhood and was diagnosed with ADHD aged nine.

Panya was a concreter before the pandemic and worked in his parent’s restaurant but drank alcohol and took drugs.

He said he also had symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, as well as PTSD from being stabbed 14 times in an unrelated incident.

Panya also continued to have strong family support and a good work history.

The court heard Miller and Panya did not have significant criminal history and good prospects of rehabilitation.

Judge Scotting accepted the men were remorseful and had insight into their offending.

When sentencing, Judge Scotting took into account it was Panya and Miller’s first time in custody along with their addiction and mental health issues.

Panya will be eligible to apply for parole on June 23, 2025 while Miller can apply on July 23, 2024.