Danicah Lee Strong apologised to victim when her partner in crime pulled a knife
A robber apologised to her teenage victim after a terrifying moment during a robbery on the Gold Coast.
Police & Courts
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A ROBBER apologised to her victim when her partner in crime pulled out a knife and threatened him, a court was told.
Moments later the duo forced the 18-year-old, who was celebrating his birthday, to buy them chips and smokes at a convenience store.
Danicah Lee Strong pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court on Thursday to one count of armed robbery while in company.
The 23-year-old mother was sentenced to two years prison with immediate release on parole.
Judge David Kent said he “inferred it would have been a frightening occurrence”.
Prosecutor Kathleen Christopherson told the court the victim was walking home with friends after a night out in Coolangatta to celebrate his 18th birthday on April 22, 2017.
He became slightly separated from them and Strong and a friend approached the teenager demanding cigarettes.
The pair grabbed his mobile phone.
Strong’s co-accused then brandished a large knife.
“Strong apologised to the complainant and said they will have to take his phone and sell that,” Ms Christopherson said.
The victim instead made the suggestion he had enough money to buy them cigarettes at a nearby convenience store.
Ms Christopherson said he purchased them a pack of cigarettes and chips before Strong told him to “f*** off”.
Strong’s co-accused has never been found.
“This would have been very terrifying for the complainant who was presumably out on his first night on the town in the club scene and would not have been streetwise,” Ms Christopherson.
The court was told it took some time to Strong to be arrested because she was taken into custody in New South Wales.
Defence barrister Jason Buckland, instructed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Legal Service, said Strong had abstained from drugs since she fell pregnant in May 2018.
He said she was still seeking drug and alcohol counselling and lived in the Tweed area.
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