Getaway driver Tyler Priestley sentenced after violent armed robbery at Greta Workers Club

The getaway driver in a violent armed robbery at the Greta Workers Club in 2018 has been the only one to escape jail time for his involvement. Three other men are serving their time behind bars.

The getaway driver in a violent armed robbery at a small Hunter club, where three men smashed their way through the premises and threatened to blow an employees head off, has been spared time behind bars.

Tyler Priestley admitted to being the driver in an armed robbery at the Greta Workers and Recreation Club in the early hours of the morning on December 22, 2018.

Three masked men were armed with a baseball bat, sawn-off shotgun and samurai sword when they stormed the club, before they threatened and assaulted an employee.

The court heard the trio pointed the gun at the worker, and swung the baseball bat at him several times, drawing blood, while they ordered him to “get down” and “don’t move” or they would blow his head off.

Three men stored the Greta club in December 2018 and threatened and assaulted an employee. Google maps.

One of the bandits also demanded he give him his gold ring, and when he refused saying he wouldn’t be able to get it off his finger, he threatened to cut his finger off.

Court documents revealed the men made off with a bottle of Gordon’s gin, Southern Comfort, and Bundaberg Red, as well as a Hewlett Packard laptop, four pool cues and an Apple iphone 7.

The court heard the greenkeeper of the club arrived just as the three men piled into an Amarok ute, stolen from Sydney days earlier which was driven by Priestley, before they fled.

He then ran into the club to find his fellow employee injured with a blood soaked shirt, saying he had been “bashed”.

Priestley wasn’t arrested until October 2019 where he made admissions to police he was the driver of the Amarok, he also admitted he was involved in the drug supply of methamphetamine and acted as the “middle man” in return for a small amount of drugs for personal use.

Getaway driver Tyler Priestley was given an ICO in Newcastle District Court on Thursday. Supplied Amy Ziniak

He pleaded guilty to armed robbery with a dangerous weapon and the supply of around 10 grams of meth.

After spending 12 months in a drug rehabilitation facility, Priestley appeared at Newcastle District Court on Thursday to be sentenced.

Judge Tim Gartelmann said Priestley was not as morally “culpable” as his co-offenders and had a much lesser role in the offence.

He noted Priestley had admitted his shame for his involvement and demonstrated great progress in his rehabilitation, which warranted credit.

He was sentenced to two years and six months to be served by way of an intensive corrections order (ICO), a jail term served within the community.

He was also ordered to complete 250 hours of community service.

Last year all three men were jailed for their involvement in the robbery. All pleaded guilty to armed robbery with a dangerous weapon.