Mark James Smith to be sentenced for Subway armed robbery

An addict was high on ice when he held a young Subway worker at knifepoint and demanded she “put all the money in the bag” so he could buy more drugs, a court has heard. CASE DETAILS >>

Mark James Smith pleaded guilty to armed robbery.

AN addict who held up the sole employee of a Tasmanian Subway restaurant to get money for more drugs will be sentenced next week.

Mark James Smith, 42, had dropped out of a rehab course and was staying at a caravan park in Ulverstone when he decided, in April, to rob the restaurant in the main street.

In the Supreme Court in Burnie, Smith pleaded guilty to a charge of armed robbery, one of using methylamphetamine, one of using cannabis and another of failing to comply with the Director of Public Health’s directions for Tasmanians to stay home during the coronavirus emergency.

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The court was told Smith went into the store wearing a face mask and washing up gloves and told the employee to fill his bag with cash.

The 17-year-old worker was the only employee in the Subway outlet at the time.

When she hesitated, Smith thrust a knife at her and repeated his demand that she “put all the money in the bag”. He left with $348, the contents of the till.

Smith told police he had used the stolen money to buy more drugs.

The offender hid the knife in grassland on his way back to the caravan park and the mask in the cooker inside his temporary accommodation.

Police arrested Smith three days after the robbery after watching CCTV footage of the incident and recognising his distinctive black and white clothing.

Justice Brett said the experience would have had a very detrimental impact on the young worker on duty at the time.

He also indicated he considered the offence too serious to consider a drug rehabilitation order as a punishment.

The court was told Smith was sexually abused as a child and had started using drugs and alcohol at the age of 11.

Justice Brett will sentence Smith on June 26 at 10am.