The offender behind a violent carjacking has been described as a "menace" by the judge who has sent him to prison for three years.
Cameron Anthony Ross was sentenced today in Manukau District Court for aggravated robbery.
He and a friend duped a man into driving them in his $65,000 Nissan car from McDonald's in Albany on November 29.
The driver stopped to let Ross out, who then pulled a shotgun on him and stole the car.
At sentencing today, Judge Gus Andree Wiltens said Ross had 24 prior convictions for dishonesty, 16 convictions on drugs charges and nine additional charges for robbery.
The public needed to be protected from Ross, Judge Andree Wiltens said.
"You are a menace."
Ross' grandfather, his long-term partner and their two young children were in court today.
"I feel sorry for your family because they are going to be without you while you're serving this sentence," Judge Andree Wiltens said.
Ross was sentenced to three years and nine months imprisonment.
The owner of the unique car told The Herald on Sunday the day after the robbery he thought he was going to be shot during the heist.
Shaarn Crosswell, a 21-year-old Auckland student and self-confessed car nut, agreed to drive Ross and another person to the Albany bus depot.
But suddenly, Ross asked Crosswell to stop the car and told him to get out. Only then did Croswell notice what appeared to be a long pistol-type weapon.
"I went to turn around to punch him but then I noticed he had a black pistol to my back. He was just pointing it at me, about 3cm or 4cm from my back.
"I was thinking, I don't know if this guy's going to shoot me. I didn't know if he was on something or what."
Crosswell got out of the car, his arms raised, while the thief struggled to workthe car's gears. "Eventually he just nailed it and took off."
- By Sophie Ryan of NZME. News Service
