Christian Burgess Spratt, 49, jailed after posing as iPhone seller and assaulting buyer at Northpark Shopping Centre

He once managed a top Adelaide engineering group – now he’s facing years in jail after ambushing an unsuspecting iPhone buyer in a carpark.

The former manager of a top Adelaide engineering group could spend up to the next three years in jail after he pretended to be an iPhone seller, only to bash and rob an innocent buyer of $20,000 in the carpark a Prospect shopping centre to pay off a debt.

Christian Burgess Spratt, 49, appeared in the District Court on Monday in front of Judge Paul Muscat for sentencing after pleading guilty to the aggravated robbery in 2021.

The court heard Spratt, of Semaphore, organised to meet his prospective buyer about 11pm in the Northpark Shopping Centre – but planned to ambush him with a co-accused away from the view of CCTV cameras.

Christian Spratt pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery. Photo: Lucy Rutherford

“You then requested that (the victim) conduct the deal in the car, because you could not do it in front of the cameras,” Judge Muscat said. “(He) insisted on inspecting the iPhones in the view of the cameras.

“At this point you grabbed (him) by the arms and demanded that he hand over the money to you. A scuffle between you and (the victim) ensued.

“The man who was in the station wagon, your co-offender, got out of it and smashed the rear window of (the victim’s) car with a hammer and took (his) backpack containing $20,000 cash that (he) had brought with him to purchase the iPhones. A number of (his) electronic devices were also in the backpack when it was stolen.

“Your co-offender then struck (him) multiple times while you and (he) were on the ground wrestling.”

The victim was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and treated for leg and shoulder injuries following the attack.

Spratt, who the court heard was a former branch manager and business development manager at Sandvik Group, initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea to guilty just days before trial.

Spratt leaving the District Court with a supporter. Photo: Lucy Rutherford

On Monday, Judge Muscat noted the victim’s money and electronic devices that were robbed during the attack were “never recovered”.

“The loss he suffered from this crime is significant,” he said.

“You have claimed that you did not receive any of the money that (the victim was robbed of, although, as noted earlier, your participation in this robbery was to discharge a debt that you owed.

“Messages on your phone revealed that demands were being made of you for money and if that money was not paid, the debt would double, clearly providing a motive for you to get your hands on a large sum of cash in a hurry to discharge your debt.”

Spratt was sentenced to three years, three months and 18 days imprisonment with a non-parole period of 12 months.

The sentence was backdated to June 23, 2024.

Originally published as Christian Burgess Spratt, 49, jailed after posing as iPhone seller and assaulting buyer at Northpark Shopping Centre