Cameron Wayne Twaddle, 21, sentenced for robbing the George Street Subway store, Rockhampton, in September 2021

Subway staff at a Rockhampton store were about to lock up for the night when they were threatened at knifepoint by two offenders who said “give us your f---ing money”, a court has heard.

Subway staff at a Rockhampton store were about to lock up for the night when they were threatened at knifepoint by two offenders who said “give us your f---ing money”, a court has heard.

Cameron Wayne Twaddle, 21, pleaded guilty on June 3 in Rockhampton District Court to one count of armed robbery while in company.

Crown prosecutor Millie Volck said Twaddle and an unidentified co-offender entered the Archer Street Subway store via the staff only door about 10pm on September 10, 2021.

She said this door led straight into the storeroom and preparation area.

“Subway was closed for trading at this time,” Ms Volck said.

“The customer entry was locked and the lights had been turned off.”

Ms Volck said two male staff members were in the store when one of them heard someone say something like “you are going to get robbed”.

Ms Volck said Twaddle entered, armed with a kitchen knife with a 15cm blade, against his thigh.

She told the court both offenders said: “Give us your f---ing money”.

Twaddle then said: “Take me to the till. You better do it or you’ll get stabbed.”

Cameron Wayne Twaddle, 21.

Ms Volck said one of the staff members took Twaddle to a cash register, located behind the counter in the front part of the store.

“Upon reaching the register, the defendant said ‘hurry up or I’ll shank you’, holding the knife in his hand by his side,” she said.

Ms Volck said the staff member opened the till and Twaddle grabbed at the money with his other hand, which was covered in a black leather glove.

She said after the offenders left, the staff noticed the store’s petty cash box was missing which had been counted at 9pm as having $600 in it.

The total amount stolen was $1300.

“(The victim) called Triple-0 but was in severe shock and was unable to speak,” Ms Volck said.

She said the petty cash box was later located on Denison Lane and fingerprints lifted belonged to Twaddle.

Ms Volck said CCTV from the nearby Lifeline store on Archer Street captured two men running past the store in possession of the box.

Twaddle was located two days later by police.

Cameron Wayne Twaddle, 21.

Defence barrister Sheridan Shaw said her client was exposed to “severe domestic violence” and substance abuse as a child with his father dying when Twaddle was eight years old.

Ms Shaw said Twaddle was then regularly passed around from family member to family member in Woorabinda, Blackwater and Rockhampton.

She said Twaddle acknowledged he needed to engage in trauma counselling to deal with the death of his father.

Twaddle had been on a probation order at the time of the robbery.

Judge Jeff Clarke said this was a clearly planned, premeditated robbery as Twaddle had tried to hide his identity by wearing a glove.

He sentenced Twaddle to 4.5 years’ prison, declared 264 days pre-sentence custody and set parole eligibility on September 12, 2022.

Originally published as Cameron Wayne Twaddle, 21, sentenced for robbing the George Street Subway store, Rockhampton, in September 2021