Caulfield Grammar boy Stuart Holmes robbed Bentleigh East post office by knifepoint
The knife-wielding son of a former Caulfield Grammar principal robbed a Bentleigh East post office before fleeing on a skateboard. But he avoided prison after his family said they would cough up the dough for an exclusive Toorak drug rehab centre.
South East
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A drug-fuelled dad robbed a Bentleigh East post office by knifepoint then skateboarded back to his partner’s house where he was arrested less than 15 minutes later.
Stuart Holmes, 49, was sentenced in the County Court last month to time served — 277 days — after pleading guilty to armed robbery.
Holmes stormed the Mackie Rd Post Office disguised with a wig and armed with a 30cm bread knife on September 23 last year.
The former Caulfield Grammar student — where his late father Angas Holmes was principal for many years — demanded staff at the husband and wife-owned post office hand over cash.
“Nobody move I want all of the money,” Holmes said.
Holmes also told a 17-year-old customer to “get against a wall”.
The victim thought the situation was a joke so she recorded the robbery on her phone, the court heard.
Holmes turned back to the staff and repeated his demands for money.
“I mean it give me your money,” he said.
Staff emptied almost $6500 from the two tills into Holmes’ bag before he fled scene on a skateboard.
Witnesses followed the post office bandit to his partner’s nearby home where he was arrested fewer than 15 minutes later.
Police seized the wig and the skateboard but the cash and knife were never recovered.
The court heard Holmes dumped the items during his escape but was “unable to offer any insight” to where he stashed the cash.
The money was eventually paid back in full by Holmes’ mother.
Holmes told police he denied robbing the post office but then said he couldn’t recall the offending.
The court heard Holmes managed to consume white wine, Diazepam, GHB and meth prior to the heist which occurred about 1.30pm.
“Whilst presenting in a somewhat ridiculous fashion this is a serious offence which showed a degree of planning,” Judge Carolene Gwynn said.
“You must’ve been aware of the target given its proximity to your home and took the time to disguise and arm yourself.
“You chose a venue described as a ‘soft target’ where your direct victims were likely, and did, respond to your armed request for money given their vulnerabilities.”
Holmes graduated from Monash University before working in sales and human resources.
The court heard Holmes lost his job six weeks before the robbery but his motivation for knocking over the post office was to get money for his drug and alcohol addiction.
It was submitted Holmes’ drug use worsened after he split with the mother of his two sons.
The court heard Holmes’ family said they will cover the cost of an exclusive Toorak drug rehab clinic.
Holmes was also placed on a two-community correction order with drug and mental health treatment conditions.
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