Norman John Beech faces Maroochydore District Court for armed robbery on pharmacy

A terrified staff member of a Coast pharmacy has shared how she thought a 45-year-old man would shoot her in the back as she tried to escape a robbery where her boss was held at gunpoint.

Staff at Maroochy Day and Night Pharmacy were threatened with a replica shotgun during a terrifying robbery on July 3, 2020 night. Photo: Laura Pettigrew

Terrified staff feared for their lives in a robbery where a 45-year-old man pointed a replica gun at a business owner’s head and cocked it, a court has heard.

Norman John Beech was sentenced to five and a half years in prison in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday.

The man was dressed in a dark hooded jumper when he robbed Maroochydore Day and Night Pharmacy along Aerodrome Road while armed with a replica gun on July 3, 2020.

Crown prosecutor Maddy Olivero told the court Beech pointed the gun at various people in the store and yelled “this is a robbery, where is the safe?”

Ms Olivero said one staff member put her hands in the air to surrender whereas another pressed a panic button and escaped despite fearing she would be shot in the back as she ran.

Beech held the replica gun at the pharmacy owner’s head and cocked it before he marched him to the back of the store, where he received $1496.25 in takings from the night before.

Beech yelled at the owner to hurry up.

The dog squad later found Beech behind Centrelink in Maroochydore with the replica gun, the stolen money and a smoking pipe.

The court heard Beech had bought the gun for $100 and concealer to cover his face tattoos while organising the robbery he devised while living in Rockhampton.

A victim impact statement penned by the business owner said he feared for his life during the robbery and he now suffers from daily panic attacks, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The owner, who feels as though he is failing his children, said he was struggling to manage his business and is struggling financially.

Ms Olivero said Beech had Victorian, Western Australian and Queensland criminal history and had been convicted of similar offences.

“The offending was brazen and premeditated it involved numerous threats and many feared for their welfare as … (Beech) pointed the replica gun towards them and other staff which to their knowledge at the time was real,” she said.

Beech pleaded guilty to robbery while pretending to be armed and possessing a utensil that had been used.

Barrister Mark Dixon said although the robbery was premeditated most of the organisation went out the window when Beech decided not to use concealer or a balaclava.

Mr Dixon said Beech, who had an ongoing battle with schizophrenia, was extremely cooperative with police and made full and frank admissions.

He said the now 47-year-old hadn’t taken his medication for several weeks and had lost his accommodation and personal possessions when he started drinking alcohol and robbed the store.

Mr Dixon said Beech had gained control of his mental health while in custody and said he had plans to return to Rockhampton where he could continue to manage his mental health with services he was familiar with.

Chief Judge Brian Devereaux said it was crucial he received help to manage his mental health upon his release.

“I trust when you are out on parole you will be supervised carefully so you maintain your treatment, so the community is protected from you committing this type of offence again,” he said.

Mr Devereaux reduced his six-year prison sentence to five and a half years given the people in the store were never in real physical danger from the fake gun.

Beech will be eligible for parole on May 2 next year.

Originally published as Norman John Beech faces Maroochydore District Court for armed robbery on pharmacy