$600k armed robbery delayed after police had crim Mark Horne’s car towed

A robber on the way to a $600k drug money heist was delayed by an eagle-eyed patrol cop, who noticed something was wrong with the crim’s car.

A criminal on his way to a $600,000 armed robbery was delayed by almost three hours after a police officer had his car towed for being unregistered.

In a scene that would fit neatly into a Quentin Tarantino movie, Mark Horne was forced to take a lengthy detour to a service station where — at the direction of a highway patrol officer who was unaware of Horne’s robbery plans — he waited for a replacement car to be delivered by a tow truck.

It was only after the officer left that Horne could continue with his plan to hold up a truck carrying about $600,000 in drug money in the early hours of September 29, 2020, documents tendered to Parramatta District Court said.

The details about the farcical robbery can be revealed after Horne — who at one point was the state’s most wanted man — was sentenced to three years and six months jail on Monday after pleading guilty to the robbery where the truck driver was shot twice in the leg.

In court, Horne’s lawyer Omar Juweinat told Judge Stephen Hanley SC that the prosecution could not prove his client knew of the firearm or which of the men shot the truck driver, which the judge accepted. Prosecuting lawyers withdrew charges against three other men who had been accused of taking part in the robbery.

Mark Horne’s robbery plans took a slight detour after he was pulled over by a cop. Picture: Supplied

The documents said Horne was on the way to a truck stop on the Great Western Hwy in Mount Lambie at 1am to rob a truckie who had $600,000 hidden in his big rig.

The truckie was asleep after arriving in Sydney from Perth with the cash hidden in a secret compartment under the truck. The documents said prosecutors accepted the truckie did not know the money was from drug sales.

Horne’s unregistered Ford Ranger ute gets towed away at the insistence of the police officer. Picture: Supplied

Horne had been tipped off about the loot and was in a white Ford Ranger ute on the way to steal the cash.

That was until he drove past patrolling Blue Mountains Sergeant Shane Kerr, who ran a check that confirmed the Ford’s registration expired 28 days earlier.

Horne, who said “No way” when the officer pulled him over, said he was heading to Lithgow to “help a mate”.

The cop directed Horne to a nearby BP service station, where the robber unsuccessfully tried to renew the registration via the RMS app.

The officer noted, “(Horne) appeared to be overly inconvenienced and took a step to one side and rubbed his face,” court documents said.

Horne called a tow truck-driver friend who delivered a hatchback and took away the Ford.

Horne and the cop even exchanged awkward small talk while they waited.

When Horne said, “It’s cold, aye”, the officer responded, “Yeah, it gets chilly up here. You get up here much?”.

Horne replied: “Never.”

The truck, secretly carrying $600,000 of drug money, was ambushed at Mt Lambie, near Lithgow. Picture: Supplied

The officer checked the police system that revealed Horne was in breach of a curfew on bail conditions for other charges.

Horne protested that his conditions had been amended.

The officer said Horne would have to come to the station in a police car to check on the station’s computer system.

Horne said, “I’m not getting in there and you’re not handcuffing me”, and the officer eventually confirmed over the phone that the conditions had changed.

Horne did not get to the truckie until about 4am.

The secret hiding spot under the truck where the $600k was hidden

He was back in the uninsured Ford, which had been retrieved from the tow truck.

The truckie woke to the sound of smashing glass and a voice that said “Where’s the money?”.

He was shot twice in the leg and beaten until he revealed the hiding place.

He also revealed that Horne would need tools, which were now damaged, to get to the cash.

“You’re gonna need a rattle gun from that bag you ran over,” the truckie said.

One of the men allegedly with Horne drove away and returned with more tools.

Horne accessed the compartment and took out piles of money — but left behind $50,000.

Horne was charged and became the state’s most wanted man when he skipped bail after cutting his ankle bracelet.

He was arrested in 2023 after being found in the hull of a yacht en route to Indonesia.

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