Bradley James Carney pleads guilty to armed robbery at Hamilton Chemist Warehouse

A man who robbed a Newcastle chemist with a box cutter, demanding drugs, told police he didn’t take “no money”, just medicine “to take the pain away”.

A man has claimed he “wasn’t greedy” and was just down on his luck before he robbed a Newcastle chemist with a box cutter knife, according to police facts.

In a bizarre few days for Bradley James Carney, the 41-year-old first broke into the Newcastle Tennis Club at Cooks Hill late on March 7 and took a nap on the courts before he fled the premises the following morning.

Court documents said police were called after a neighbour noticed Carney was stumbling around the club and “behaving erratically” but when they arrived at 7am, he was gone.

Nothing was stolen, but officers did find a bail attendance slip with his name on it, and a methadone bottle.

Then later that afternoon, on March 8, Carney was captured on CCTV footage stealing a box cutter from the IGA at Beaumont St, Hamilton before he crossed the street and used it to threaten an employee at Chemist Warehouse.

Police at the intersection of Hunter Street and Steel Street at Newcastle West after arresting Bradley Carney on March 9, 2022 for an armed robbery. Picture: Peter Lorimer

“I need painkillers and benzos! Quick before I do something stupid,” he said according to police facts.

After being given Panadeine Forte, he demanded Valium, fentanyl and then OxyContin.

Fearing for his safety, the employee handed over some drugs, before Carney ran out of the store.

It wasn’t until the following day police caught up with the 41-year-old, who was seen crossing Hunter street in Newcastle where officers ordered him to stop before a dramatic arrest unfolded.

Police facts said Carney charged at police before making attempts to flee, but officers were quick to respond, striking him to the ground and handcuffing him.

When they examined his backpack, the drugs stolen from the chemist were inside.

“I wasn’t drunk or intoxicated, so I knew no one was going to get hurt,” he told police in a later interview.

“I wasn’t greedy. I didn’t take no money. There is no excuse for it obviously, but I didn’t take no money. Just some medicine to take the pain away.”

Police facts also stated that he admitted to breaking into the tennis club, citing because he was homeless and freezing at the time.

In Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday Carney appeared via video link and pleaded guilty to armed robbery with an offensive weapon and larceny, while charges of entering a prescribed premises without lawful excuse and resisting arrest will be used as back-up offences.

A break and enter and another resist arrest charge were also dismissed.

His matters were adjourned until October in Newcastle’s District Court for a sentence date to be fixed.