Kowanyama man Morlan Bracken Gregory, 53, sentenced after Earlville armed robbery, sexual assault

A 53-year-old man has been sentenced after menacing a young female convenience store attendant with a knife, and sexually assaulting her during an armed robbery.

53-year-old Kowanyama man, Morlan Bracken Gregory has received his sentence after he menaced a 21-year-old convenience store attendant with a knife and sexually assaulted her during a robbery. Image: Stock

A 53-year-old man has been sentenced after menacing a young female convenience store attendant with a knife, and sexually assaulting her during an armed robbery.

Kowanyama man Morlan Bracken Gregory faced Cairns District Court with an extensive 19-page criminal history filled with offending fuelled by alcohol intoxication which included indecent treatment, assault, armed robbery and a serious assault against a police officer.

He pleaded guilty to armed robbery and sexual assault this week after he robbed an Earlville convenience store earlier this year threatening the attendant with a large kitchen knife and sexually assaulting her.

James McArdle was a no show at the Cairns Court House on Tuesday afternoon with his extradition to Victoria scheduled for Wednesday.

Crown Prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso told the court Gregory entered the store mid-afternoon on February 12 while intoxicated, and asked the lone attendant for free cigarettes.

The attendant gave him a single cigarette to diffuse the situation and told him she could not provide anything further.

Gregory then left the store before returning and producing a large kitchen knife.

“He came behind the counter, he had the knife directly in front of him pointed at her and approached while she backed up with her hands in the air,” Ms Kelso said.

“She handed him money from the till.”

Gregory then placed his arms around her “nuzzling and kissing her face” and in the course of trying to remove herself he “groped her breast”.

The attendant was able to signal for help when two women entered the store.

A victim impact statement was read to the court in which the attendant described having to move from Cairns, quit her job because of depression, anxiety and PTSD and suffered from recurrent nightmares.

Ms Kelso said there was an “evilness” to his offending as he was aware the victim was alone and vulnerable, producing the knife “menacing and threatening her”.

Defence Counsel Kelly Goodwin told the court Gregory had “very limited memory” due to his level of intoxication, but accepted his conduct in full.

Barrister Kelly Goodwin leaves the Cairns Courthouse. Picture: Brendan Radke

Mr Goodwin told the court Gregory had “turned to alcohol for a vast majority of his adult life” however, he argued he was not beyond rehabilitation.

Judge Carl Heaton KC said, “the community is rightly sick and tired of people who commit offences like this when drunk then with the benefit of sober reflection say I’m sorry and continue to do it”.

Gregory was sentenced to five years for the armed robbery and two years for the sexual assault to be served concurrently.

He will be eligible for parole after two years served.

Originally published as Kowanyama man Morlan Bracken Gregory, 53, sentenced after Earlville armed robbery, sexual assault