Clayton Cooper: Western Sydney man sentenced after robbing elderly Moruya man

A South Coast judge has urged a Western Sydney man to “break the cycle” of violence after he was sentenced for bashing an elderly man in Moruya. Find out what happened.

A South Coast judge has a urged a Western Sydney man to “break the cycle” of violence after he was sentenced to more than four years in prison for bashing an elderly man in Moruya.

Clayton Cooper was charged with aggravated robbery after a frightening attack on an 83-year-old man near the Adelaide Hotel in July 2021. He pleaded guilty to the charges at Batemans Bay Local Court in March.

At the Bega District Court on Friday, Judge James Bennett told the 26-year-old he had made a “favourable impression” on him after giving evidence, and urged him to change his life for the better.

“I hope that what I’ve done will facilitate the future life that you’ve got left,” he said.

“You have to take the opportunity and break that cycle.”

Cooper had travelled to the South Coast from Sydney to attend a funeral when, after being turned away from the Adelaide Hotel for not having a mask and being unsuccessful in obtaining methadone, he robbed the victim of his car keys.

“At 1.50pm, Cooper was seen by a witness lingering outside the rear entrance of the Moruya Plaza Arcade,” police documents state.

“A short time late, the victim parked his car at the rear of the arcade. As the victim and his wife entered the arcade, he turned back to make sure the car was locked, while his wife went ahead of him through the arcade.”

Clayton Cooper was charged with aggravated robbery after a frightening attack on an 83-year-old man near the Adelaide Hotel in Moruya in July 2021.

When he reached the top of the concrete ramp at the arcade’s rear entrance, the victim felt someone grab him from behind, around the shoulders.

“The victim felt the person pick him up, causing him to fall onto the concrete. As he hit the ground the victim’s bag and his car keys came out of his hands and landed a short distance away from him,” the police documents state.

“Cooper picked up the car keys and ran down the ramp towards the car park.”

Images tendered by police showed gashes on the victim’s arm, elbow, and knee resulting from the incident.

The following day, police attended a property in Doonside where they arrested Cooper, before taking him to Blacktown Police Station. During a police interview, he told officers he “felt bad” for his actions.

He further stated he was affected by drugs at the time and had no way of returning to Sydney.

Cooper informed police the vehicle was parked at Westpoint Blacktown, and that he had the victim’s keys and mobile phone at his house in Doonside. Both items were recovered by police.

During sentencing, Judge Bennett told the court that Cooper had been in and out of custody for more than a decade for violent offences, and had started to feel safer in prison than in the community.

“There is a real risk of him becoming institutionalised,” Judge Bennett said.

Cooper was arrested on July 22 2021 and taken Blacktown Police Station.

Cooper had suffered abuse as a child and had first started using meth at 15, Judge Bennett told the court. A further spiral occurred when at 22, a close personal friend attempted suicide.

“This gave rise to a sense of hopelessness that the offender’s life would never improve,” he said.

Judge Bennett agreed with submissions put forward by Cooper’s lawyer that there was a need for rehabilitation, which would include an extended period of parole.

“I accept the proposition that his drug abuse and mental health issues articulated in the material have an impact on the assessment of moral culpability,” Judge Bennett said.

“It’s not to be overlooked that he did not cause any damage to the vehicle.”

Cooper also claimed to have not been aware of the age or frailty of the victim until after the robbery.

He was sentenced to four years and six months in prison to take effect from January 26, at which time he was imprisoned for other offences. He will be eligible for parole from May 2024.