Shane Petrovski, 39, jailed over fake gun death threat to bank teller

A convicted sex offender threatened to kill a terrified bank teller with a fake gun after being refused service.

Shane Petrovski threatened a NAB employee with a fake gun after being refused service. Picture: Facebook

A convicted sex offender who left a bank teller traumatised after threatening to kill her with a fake gun has been jailed.

Shane Petrovski, 39, pleaded guilty in July to nine charges, including possessing and carrying an imitation firearm, making a threat to kill, resisting an emergency worker and failing to report internet usernames.

Petrovski went to the Geelong West branch of National Australia Bank (NAB) on Pakington St on May 22, wanting to withdraw money from his pension account.

He was refused service twice and became aggressive and abusive towards employees before revealing he had a fake gun and threatening to “blow (the teller’s) head off”.

The incident was the most serious in a spree that included an unsuccessful break-in attempt at a Subway branch in Corio.

Petrovski also failed to report a Snapchat account he had created, which is a requirement under his obligations as a registered sex offender.

Petrovski was jailed in 2005 after being convicted of unlawful sex with a 13-year-old in Naracoorte in South Australia.

Magistrate Ann McGarvie had deferred sentencing to assess Petrovski’s suitability for a justice plan but Petrovski was deemed unsuitable for such a plan, meaning a community corrections order (CCO) would be difficult to complete.

Justice plans offer specific treatment services for offenders with intellectual disabilities.

Petrovski has schizoaffective disorder and a learning disorder but Ms McGarvie said the “main issue” was his drug use.

Ms McGarvie told the court the bank worker had suffered from “severe anxiety” since the incident, and had been forced to seek medical treatment as a result of the “emotional and psychological trauma” that Petrovski caused her.

She said Petrovski’s actions were “totally unacceptable”, and noted the teller was “simply doing her job”.

Petrovski’s lawyer, Sarah Wood, told the court at his plea hearing in July that while Petrovski had a long criminal history, he had managed to stay out of trouble with the law for five years before relapsing into drug use.

Ms McGarvie also re-sentenced Petrovski for two CCO breaches, including one he was placed on in October last year.

Petrovski was convicted and jailed for a total of eight months, minus 89 days of pre-sentence detention. He was also ordered to pay $660 for the damage to the Subway door.

Originally published as Shane Petrovski, 39, jailed over fake gun death threat to bank teller