Robert Macleod tries to rob Pancake Parlour Fountain Gate with knife and fork
A man has thrown a bowl of lollies at staff at a Fountain Gate restaurant before trying to rob the restaurant with his cutlery. But he ended up making a meal of it. Here’s how.
South East
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A man threw a bowl of lollies at staff as he attempted to rob Fountain Gate’s Pancake Parlour with a knife and fork.
Robert Macleod, 47, went to buy a $25.70 meal at the restaurant on February 25 this year. But instead of paying he took his cutlery to the counter and waved his knife and fork at staff, yelling “give me all your money” and “I’m robbing you”.
The County Court heard Macleod threw his cutlery at a staff member — hitting him in the stomach — before fleeing the store.
Fountain Gate security detained him and when police arrived Macleod told them he tried to rob the Pancake Parlour because he “wanted to go to Port Phillip (Prison)”.
He told police he went to the counter with the knife and fork to “stab the person”.
MacLeod, who pleaded to one charge of attempted robbery, was given a minimum of 12 months in prison on August 9.
The Noble Park man, who has priors for criminal damage, attempted armed robbery and theft, was on a community corrections order at the time of his offence.
Judge Gabrielle Cannon hit out at Corrections Victoria during sentencing.
“I’m very worried about your prospects of rehabilitation and the safety of the community,” Judge Cannon said.
“(There is) insufficient resources in the community to provide appropriate support for you in a way that would see you sufficiently occupied and supervised as well as in good company.
“I was disappointed to hear that the person supervising you from Community Corrections and from whom you had good rapport (was) suddenly seconded to another position without any appropriate handover to a new case worker.
“It was after your case worker was seconded that you commenced to fail on the order.”
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Judge Cannon said Macleod’s offending was “rather pathetic” but was “serious and deserving of a punishment”.
“(This was) very wrong and most frightening for those involved,” she said.
“(It’s) no way in which to behave (and) not a laughing matter. It’s time for you to behave yourself once and for all.”
Judge Cannon said while MacLeod might like prison in order to get attention and structure, “there may well come a time when people who are in prison with you are not so friendly”.
MacLeod had spent 165 days in custody at the time of sentencing.