Dairy robbed at knife point

Police at the scene of an armed robbery at the Shiel Hill Foodcentre yesterday afternoon. Photo...
Police at the scene of an armed robbery at the Shiel Hill Foodcentre yesterday afternoon. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with aggravated robbery after a Dunedin dairy was held up at knifepoint yesterday afternoon.

Police were called to the Shiel Hill Foodcentre after a shopkeeper reported being robbed at knifepoint about 2pm.

The male offender allegedly entered the dairy and demanded money and cigarettes from the sole female worker.

Owner Jesse Cha told the Otago Daily Times his wife ran and locked herself in a back room when confronted by the man.

Before fleeing the Highcliff Rd store, the offender allegedly took pouches of tobacco, Mr Cha said.

His wife was ''fine'', he said, adding footage of the incident had been given to detectives.

The dairy was cordoned off for several hours as police, including a dog handler, combed the area looking for the offender.

District Command Centre deployment co-ordinator Senior Sergeant Craig Brown said the offender concealed his face during the robbery, and was wearing dark trousers and a pale hoodie.

A man was later arrested and was held in police custody last night. He will appear in the Dunedin District Court today.

 

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