Lapsed Mormon described by judge as being at ‘low ebb’ during armed robbery at Geelong home

A judge who jailed a man for threatening a woman with a wrench in a robbery at a Geelong home says the lapsed mormon felt “shame” for being unemployed.

Joseph Kaipuke has been jailed for 11 months after he pleaded guilty to armed robbery at a Geelong home.

A lapsed Mormon was at a “low ebb” when he orchestrated a terrifying armed robbery by posing as a father wanting to buy his son a PlayStation, according to a judge.

Joseph Kaipuke, 29, at the County Court on Tuesday was jailed for 11 months after he pleaded guilty to armed robbery for threatening a woman with a wrench and stealing more than $28,000 cash from a Geelong home last year.

In handing down his sentence, Judge Gavan Meredith accepted the New Zealand national had fallen on hard times during the pandemic and felt he was “letting down” his devout Mormon family because he was jobless.

“You were clearly at a low ebb at the time of the offending,” he said.

“You experienced feelings of guilt and shame and were embarrassed that you were unemployed.”

Kaipuke carried out the robbery through an online scam using fake Facebook profiles.

On December 8, he posed as a woman and began negotiations to sell a dozen PlayStation 5 consoles to a man who ran a gaming supply business from his home in the Geelong suburb of Armstrong Creek.

But the man cancelled the deal after Kaipuke refused to provide identification or to meet him at his home.

A week later Kaipuke created another fake account and arranged to meet at the man’s home under the pretence of buying a PS5 for his son.

The seller wasn’t home and his sister instead allowed Kaipuke into the garage, which was fitted with security cameras, to make the transaction.

In a previous hearing, CCTV footage was played to the court showing Kaipuke wearing high-vis clothing and speaking to the woman before he pulls out a wrench.

“I’m going to rob you,” he said.

Kaipuke told the woman her brother owed $8700 before he grabbed her by the arm and demanded she retrieve cash.

When the woman returned, she handed Kaipuke two envelopes containing $28,700.

“Just make sure there is $8700 in here or otherwise we are going to come back,” Kaipuke said as he fled to his car.

“There is more of us, we will really come back.”

Kaipuke was arrested in Keysborough on December 20 after investigators linked his vehicle and bank accounts to the robbery.

He gave full admissions when interviewed.

Recently purchased camping items, clothing and movie vouchers were found in his car and home that were refunded and given back to the victim.

More than $25,000 was also seized from Kaipuke’s bank account and returned.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman who was robbed said she was left traumatised by the robbery.

“I was and still am afraid,” she said.

Kaipuke, who previously worked as an overseas Mormon missionary and a forklift driver, told a psychologist his incarceration had helped him “face up” to his demons.

Judge Meredith sentenced Kaipuke to 11 months’ jail followed by an 18-month community correction order.

He acknowledged Kaipuke, who has lived in Australia for 20 years, faced potential deportation to New Zealand upon his release.