Isabella Maher sentenced for armed robbery

An Armstrong Creek woman threatened a random member of the public with a knife, and demanded her to give her, her phone.

Isabella Maher

An Armstrong Creek teenager pulled a knife on woman and demanded her phone.

Isabella Maher, 18, pleaded guilty in the County Court to armed robbery and was on Monday sentenced to a community corrections order for 20 months.

According to court documents, on April 8, this year, just before 6am, Maher was on a tram in Flinders St, Melbourne, when she decided to pull a knife on an unknown woman.

The court heard Maher had been approaching and speaking to people on the tram before the incident.

Maher approached the victim, grabbed the woman’s phone while she tried to hang onto it.

According to court documents, Maher reached her right hand into her jumper pocket and pulled out a 15-20cm knife and held the knife above her shoulder with the blade facing forward.

The victim, who was in fear for her life, shielded herself with her right arm as she believed Maher would stab her.

“The offender moved her arm holding the knife downward and closer to the victim, with the tip of the knife’s blade reaching approximately 5cm from the victim’s elbow,” the court heard.

Maher said “No, give that,” which the victim believed was referring to her phone.

The victim then called her boyfriend and also alerted police.

At about 6.30am, Maher was taken into custody.

According to court documents police searched Maher and located a knife of approximately 15-20cm length in her bra.

Maher told police “It’s fake,” and that it had been given to her by a friend.

Judge Angela Ellis sentenced Maher to a community corrections order, and also sentenced her to undergo 80 hours of community work.

Maher was previously sentenced in the Geelong Magistrates Court for similar offending earlier this year.

Originally published as Isabella Maher sentenced for armed robbery