Jon Miles: Mildura man holds knife to throat of taxi driver during robbery

A Mildura man held a knife to the throat of a taxi driver during a robbery to support his drug habit — and he blamed a familiar target for slipping back into crime.

A Mildura man held a knife to the throat of a taxi driver during a robbery.

A taxi driver had a knife held to his throat during one of a string of thefts and robberies to support a drug user’s habit.

Mildura man Jon Miles, 28, pleaded guilty to eight charges, spanning burglary, theft, armed robbery and committing an indictable offence while on bail, at the County Koori Court on Tuesday.

A prosecutor told the court Miles on the morning of May 9, 2019 went to the Mildura Pawnbroker store.

He was wearing a motorbike helmet and gloves and used a sledgehammer to gain entry to the rear of the building.

Inside, Miles stole a Samsung S9 phone and assorted jewellery.

A knife was pointed at cashiers at the OTR store in Irymple. Picture: Michael DiFabrizio

On June 9 last year, Miles entered the OTR service station in Irymple wearing gloves, a hooded jumper and a covering for the lower part of his face.

He pointed a knife at a cashier and hit a coffee machine with his other hand, asking for money to be put in a hat.

Miles left the store with $400.

On June 28 last year he again attended Mildura Pawnbroker, this time with clothing wrapped over his head.

He used a small axe to break the glass on the front door before stealing an iPhone 8 Plus and $500 worth of jewellery.

Mildura Pawnbroker was twice broken into. Picture: Michael DiFabrizio

Miles on July 4 was at the Irymple Hotel when he asked staff to call him a taxi under the name “Josh”.

He entered the taxi with his face concealed, sitting behind the driver with a co-accused also in the vehicle.

After driving for a short while, the driver was directed to a carpark.

Miles reached around from behind, holding a knife to the driver’s throat with one hand while holding onto the driver’s shoulder with the other.

“Give me all your money or I’ll hurt you,” Miles told the driver.

The pair left with $300.

Miles told Judge Irene Lawson and two community elders that he had a problem with drugs, including heroin, for many years.

He said while he wasn’t blaming anyone, because of COVID-19 restrictions “all the support stopped” and he again turned back to old habits.

“Now that I look back, it was the stupidest thing I could’ve done,” he said.

Community elder Uncle Mark told Miles his offending had a devastating impacts on his victims.

Miles was urged to think about his nine-year-old son.

“You need to start being that role model,” Uncle Mark said.

Miles will be sentenced on February 19.