Ronald Roy Harris, 44, pleads guilty to charges including aggravated burglary, armed robbery

An armed robber wielding a machete held up a man and woman, before forcing the man into a car and taking him to an ATM to get more money.

Ronald Roy Harris. Picture: Facebook

A machete wielding armed robber hit the road with one of his victims when he felt they hadn’t coughed up enough cash.

Ronald Roy Harris, 44, appeared in the County Court at Geelong on Tuesday, having pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, armed robbery, false imprisonment, theft and obtaining property by deception.

Crown prosecutor Philip Teo told the court a Grovedale man visited a neighbour of Harris, who lived in the same block of units in Herne Hill on August 19 last year.

The man arrived at 10pm, chatting over a coffee with the woman, before they had sex.

About 90 minutes later, the court heard Harris was seen by a witness pacing outside the units wearing a hi-vis shirt.

Minutes later, he barged into the flat with a machete, having unlocked the door with a key his neighbour left in his unit earlier.

The woman attempted to calm the situation, but Harris kept telling her to “shut the f--k up and sit down”, the court heard.

He told the man and woman to strip naked and put everything in their pockets onto a coffee table.

It wasn’t enough for Harris, who said they were “going to get more”, before telling the man: “If you try anything funny, I’ll blow your f--king head off right here and now.”

Harris, bundling up wallets, phones, cash and cigarettes from the table, ushered the man into the man’s car.

As they left, he said: “We’re going for a drive, don’t try anything stupid because we know everything about you.”

Harris drove the male victim to National Australia Bank (NAB) in Geelong’s CBD, where he told him to get as much cash out as he could.

He withdrew $1000 and handed it over, hoping Harris would drive off, but he was ordered back in the car and again threatened.

“I know all your family … we get one by one if you talk to the police,” Harris said.

Harris drove around the Geelong Ring Road, at first towards Waurn Ponds, then towards Melbourne, before dropping his victim off on a dirt road.

Harris then withdrew about $1700 of the man’s money from NAB on Separation St.

Harris’ lawyer, barrister Robert Thyssen, told the court his client regretted his actions, had never meant to cause his victim distress and accepted responsibility.

The court heard Harris was motivated to change his ways.

Mr Thyssen said Harris’ plea in the matter, late as it was, was of “significant utility” in saving court time and resources.

The court heard Harris had a “very troubled upbringing” that left him with major traumas, including sitting in the passenger seat during a car crash at age four, in which his mother lost her life.

Harris struggled at school and battled drug addiction throughout his life.

The most recent offending occurred shortly after his father passed away, and he relapsed into using ice.

Harris will reappear in court on October 31.

Originally published as Ronald Roy Harris, 44, pleads guilty to charges including aggravated burglary, armed robbery