Ricky John Crossin pleads guilty to armed robbery after holding up bottle shop at Valern Hotel in Moonah in 2010

A man has pleaded guilty to a 10-year old armed robbery at a bottle shop in Hobart’s northern suburbs, with DNA from the time helping link him to the crime.

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DNA taken from items from the scene of an armed robbery 10 years ago has been used to track down a Herdsmans Cove man who has now pleaded guilty to the crime.

In the Supreme Court in Hobart on Monday morning before Justice Gregory Geason, Ricky John Crossin, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery.

Crown prosecutor Madeleine Figg said on April 14, 2010, two male staff at the 9/11 bottle shop at the Valern Hotel in Moonah were restocking shelves when Mr Crossin walked in with what looked like a balaclava over his head.

The Valern Hotel in Moonah.

The court heard the men said it looked like he was holding a grey hand gun and a freezer bag which he told the men to fill up.

The men put approximately $1284 in cash from the till into the bag before Mr Crossin left.

He left the firearm on the counter, which the men then realised was a replica, the court heard.

Ms Figg said in 2010, DNA profiling done with items from the crime scene found a match with a possible relative of the offender, which ultimately turned out to be Mr Crossin’s daughter, but police were not able to take DNA from him until 2018.

Justice Gregory Geason is set to sentence Mr Crossin on December 16.

In a subsequent police interview, Mr Crossin said he had never been to the Valern Hotel and it was not him who committed the armed robbery.

The court heard he had not spent any time in custody on this offence and that he had some stealing convictions which were of some age.

Defence lawyer Craig Rainbird said his Herdmans Cove client was a disability pensioner who was first introduced to amphetamines in 2008.

Mr Rainbird said a drug debt was the catalyst for the bottle shop offending.

He said the 10-year delay in the case was not attributable to anyone in particular.

“The case was thoroughly investigated by police, it was simply that Mr Crossin’s DNA was not on their database,” he said.

Mr Rainbird said his client was no longer on drugs and he asked for home detention to be considered as a sentencing option.

The matter was adjourned for sentencing on December 16.

Mr Crossin was remanded in custody.