Staff traumatised by robbery: judge

Clinton Dearman faces sentence in the Dunedin District Court for two armed robberies of a...
Clinton Dearman faces sentence in the Dunedin District Court for two armed robberies of a pharmacy. Photo supplied.
Staff at a Dunedin pharmacy robbed by an armed man twice in four months were so scarred by the experience that some wondered if they wanted to continue in the pharmacy profession, a judge has said.

Clinton Michael Dearman (46), of Port Chalmers, was sentenced to seven and a-half years' jail for the knifepoint robberies of the Forbury Pharmacy in Hillside Rd in July and November last year.

And he must serve three years and nine months - half of the sentence - before he can apply for parole.

The fear, anxiety and uncertainty Dearman's actions had caused the pharmacy staff reflected the callous nature of the robberies, Judge Michael Crosbie said when sentencing Dearman, who earlier admitted both offences.

Dearman's face was covered by a balaclava and he was carrying a large knife when he targeted the Forbury Pharmacy for controlled drugs about 5.30pm on July 4 last year. He locked the staff in a back room.

On November 29, he returned to the pharmacy at closing time. His face was again covered and he said he had a knife.

He demanded more controlled drugs, filling a large bag, then taped the hands of the staff behind their backs before locking them in the toilet.

While counsel John Westgate said Dearman never intended harming anyone, the victims were not to know that when they were being confronted by a large man wearing a balaclava and holding a knife, the judge said.

It was often luck rather than good management that nobody was hurt, he told Dearman.

Statements from the victims revealed they suffered a variety of effects, including not being able to sleep, feeling frightened and fearful that Dearman, or someone like him, would come back, feeling constantly anxious at work and being put off the career path to which they had been committed. Several needed psychological counselling for various issues, including survivor guilt.

They felt powerless and one talked of feeling bad about failing to protect staff members.

None of the drugs from the first robbery were recovered.

Judge Crosbie took into account that Dearman had wanted to have restorative justice but had not been able to, through no fault of his own.

The victim who had wanted to meet him to ''get him out of her hair'' had decided in the meantime she had ''moved on''.

Mr Westgate described it as ''unfortunate'' as Dearman had wanted to express his remorse and assure the woman he never intended to hurt her. But he accepted things could go wrong when someone had a knife.

Mr Westgate asked that Dearman be given credit for his guilty plea and his willingness to undertake the restorative justice process.

Judge Crosbie took a seven-year starting point for the first robbery, added two years and three months for the second and another six months for Dearman's prior convictions.

With a 20% discount for the guilty pleas and a smaller discount for remorse and Dearman's attempt to have restorative justice, Judge Crosbie reached an end sentence of seven and a-half years' imprisonment, concurrent, on each charge.

The offending was sufficiently serious to warrant a minimum non-parole term, which counsel agreed should be 50% of the sentence, the judge said.

Add a Comment

 

Advertisement