Pair jailed for frightening southeast McDonald’s robberies
Two men who stole more than $1000 — and hash browns, fries and hot cake syrup — from two McDonald’s stores in Melbourne’s southeast claim they were drunk during the 30-minute spree.
South East
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Two violent fast food bandits who menaced several McDonald’s staff during a trail of terror in Melbourne’s southeast have been locked up.
John Yien and Noi Kolang’s 30-minute crime spree began when they rolled up to a Hampton Park McDonald’s in a stolen car just after 5am on March 14, a court has heard.
The brutes stormed the restaurant and headed straight to the counter, at which they produced a large knife.
Yien went to the kitchen, grabbed an employee by his shirt and held the knife to his victim’s stomach, the court heard.
“Don’t say anything, come and open the till at the front counter,” Yien said.
Yien dragged his frightened victim to the counter while Kolang kept watch.
The victim told Yien he needed the manager to open the till so Yien grabbed a female barista by the collar and pressed the knife to her face.
“Where is the money … I want money,” Yien said.
Yien then waved his knife around as he walked through the store until he found the manager in the office.
Yien pointed the knife at the safe but the manager said she couldn’t open it because it was on a timer.
He frogmarched the “very scared” manager to the drive-through area, where he stuffed his pockets with cash from the till.
Yien then made her open the front till, stuffing more cash into a takeaway McDonalds bag.
Yien went back to the kitchen and stole some hash browns, fries and hot cake syrup before fleeing the store with $510.
The pair robbed a Cranbourne North McDonald’s less than 15 minutes later, escaping with $500 and hash browns.
Police identified Yien and Kolang from the CCTV footage and the pair were arrested a short time later.
The pair claimed they were drunk at the time of the armed robberies.
Yien, 20, and Kolang, 25, were sentenced in the County Court on December 6 after pleading guilty to several charges including two counts of armed robbery.
Yien was given a four years’ detention in a youth justice centre.
Kolang was jailed for a minimum of 18 months.
Judge Claire Quin said the offending was “very serious”.
“Business may have been quiet there were a number of staff present,” she said.
“People are entitled to feel safe in their workplace and you chose these two soft and same targets and used your threatening presence to instil fear and concern in your victims.”
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However, Judge Quin said she was prepared to give Yien – who has a history of offending – one more chance to “break the cycle”.
She warned him if he offended again he would serve time in an adult jail.
Yien, who also pleaded guilty to theft and criminal damage, had spent 262 days in custody at the time of sentencing.
Kolang, who had spent 259 days in custody at the time of sentencing, was jailed for a maximum of three years and six months.