Shelley Lee Williams, a 40-year-old self-employed hairdresser, was carrying an imitation pistol when she robbed McAuliffe Jewellery Store in South Dunedin on June 6, Sue Todd Antiques and Jewellery Store in Lower Stuart St on June 23 and the Elgin Food Market later that same day. On each occasion, she was wearing a hooded puffer jacket and gloves, her face was covered and she was carrying a black bag.
In the Dunedin District Court yesterday, Williams pleaded guilty to three charges of aggravated robbery and was remanded in custody for two months for presentence reports and for sentencing.
Williams was also given a warning under the "three strikes" legislation by Judge Kevin Phillips.
When Williams approached Robert McAuliffe in his King Edward St jewellery shop just before 5.30pm on June 6, she was holding a handgun. She told him: "This is the real thing" and asked if anyone else was in the store. She said she had people at the front and rear of the premises, as well as someone watching his house. She asked for the money the victim was putting in the safe and was handed $350.
Williams then demanded the money from the till and told Mr McAuliffe: "If you muck me around, I will shoot you in the leg". After being handed $200 in notes she said she would "now get the gold coil and scrap gold" but was told the shop did not hold those items. The defendant then told Mr McAuliffe to do as he was told and he would not get hurt. She instructed him to lock the front door and said she was going to take the gold stock from the shop.
As Mr McAuliffe was locking the front door, he managed to escape from the store. The defendant also ran out and fled in the opposite direction.
About 3.45pm on June 23, Williams walked into Sue Todd Antiques and Jewellery Store in Stuart St after spending 15 minutes walking up and down Stuart St outside the premises. She approached the store owner, told her she had a gun and asked for the gold and silver from the shop.
In total she was handed $5520 of gold and silver items from under the counter top. She asked several times for the safe but was told by the owner, Sue Todd, the store did not have one.
Williams then left the store and, about 40 minutes later, entered the Elgin Food Market on Elgin Rd, pointed the imitation handgun at the store owner and said: "Money". She was given $900 in cash from the till but then demanded tobacco, stating: "Winfield Red". She left the store with 20 packets of cigarettes valued at $604.80 in a black carry bag.
Police searched the defendant’s Oamaru address on June 29 and found the plastic imitation pistol and clothing, a shoulder bag and a mask used in the robberies.
They also found 18 packets of Winfield Red and Rothmans cigarettes as well as several handwritten notes relating to robbing shops. Prosecutor Sergeant Chris George said Williams had helped police recover eight of the nine jewellery items taken from Sue Todd Antiques.
- Kay Sinclair
