Benjamin Stephenson sentenced over Mario’s Pizza attempted armed robbery
A former Marcellin College student with a “disturbing history” of violence threatened to smash a Richmond pizza shop owner’s skull with a brick in a terrifying bid to get him to hand over cash while his wife and young son watched on. And victims say they’ve been forced to close their shop amid fears the thug will return.
Inner South
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A brick-wielding alcoholic thug who threatened to crack a Richmond pizza shop owner’s skull if he didn’t hand over cash has been released from jail.
The County Court heard Benjamin Stephenson, 34, entered Mario’s Pizza on Church St at about 10pm on November 18, 2018, and asked owner Marios Anastasiou if he could spare $20.
When Mr Anastasiou refused, Stephenson left the shop, but returned 10 minutes later armed with a brick and demanded the money from the cash register, telling Mr Anastasiou “I’ll crack your skull open” if he didn’t hand it over.
The court heard the former Marcellin College student tried to grab the till but when Mr Anastasiou took hold of the other side, Stephenson fled the scene empty-handed.
The brick was found in pieces in the middle of the road in a nearby street.
Police found Stephenson and his co-accused mate walking down Victoria St, towards Hoddle St, but when they approached the two men tried to run.
Police searched the nearby area and found Stephenson hiding under the overhanging branches of a tree.
Police used pepper spray to subdue a mencing Stephenson so they could arrest him.
During police interview, Stephenson denied trying to hold up the shop, instead telling cops Mr Anastasiou had started attacking him when he offered to sell him a bundle of fresh prawns for $60.
Stephenson claimed he had grabbed the brick in self-defence before eventually pleading guilty to attempted armed robbery charges.
The court heard Stephenson had been a heavy drinker since he was 16, downing booze “upon waking up each morning and continuing until unconscious in the evening”.
Around the age of 27, he cut back on alcohol and switched to doing meth and heroin. He has also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder which has been untreated for several years.
Judge Scott Johns said Stephenson had a criminal history “of a disturbing length” throughout Victoria and Queensland, including for robbery and assault, as well as dishonesty and drug offences.
The court heard he had recently returned to Melbourne from Brisbane following the breakdown of a relationship and had been unemployed and “effectively homeless” at the time of the incident.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Anastasiou’s wife — who had been in the shop with her young son at the time of the incident — said she lived in “constant fear” Stephenson would return and that she had been “compelled to close the shop as a result of … unceasing feelings of being unsafe”.
Despite this, Judge Johns said Stephenson had engaged in the methadone program since being taken into custody the night after the incident, had labouring work lined up and would live with his father in Wallan once released from prison.
“I am satisfied you no longer pose a threat to community safety … and you have reasonable prospects of rehabilitation,” he said.
“You seem to have the right attitude now but, of course, that goes out the window as soon as alcohol hits your lips — that’s your problem, that’s your lot in life.
“Some people simply can’t go down that path (of drinking alcohol), and you’re one of those people.”
Judge Johns sentenced Stephenson to 22 months’ time already served, making him eligible for release in coming days.
He will also complete a two-year community corrections order, including 150 hours of unpaid community work as well as mental health and drug and alcohol counselling.
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