A Tasmanian man who threatened a supermarket security guard with a knife while stealing more than $500 worth of meat has walked free from court after admitting to the armed robbery.
David John Rae was caught by DNA left behind on the freezer bags he used to stash his haul from Coles Glenorchy in July 2023.
The 27-year-old entered the store just after 11:20am on July 16, wearing a face mask and a hat. He loaded up $534.55 worth of meat, packed it into freezer bags and tried to walk out without paying.
But when a loss prevention officer stepped in, Rae pulled out a 15-centimetre knife and threatened to stab the worker, before bolting from the scene.
The meat was later found dumped nearby, but the DNA on the bags led police to Rae. He was arrested the next day.
In the Supreme Court, Justice Tamara Jago sentenced him to 18 months in prison but suspended the entire term, provided he completes a court-mandated drug diversion programme.
The court heard Rae has an extensive criminal history and has continued offending since the Coles robbery, serving nearly 10 months in prison last year before being placed on a drug treatment order.
Justice Jago was told Rae’s drug use began in his teens, driven by a traumatic upbringing filled with violence and substance abuse. The court heard his father first gave him methylamphetamine when he was 16.
“Armed robbery is a very serious crime, predominately because of the consequences to those who are robbed and the danger such crime presents to any member of the public who happens to be in the vicinity at the time the crime is committed,” Justice Jago said.
“It is common that victims of such robberies are often traumatised in a long term psychological way.”
She said Rae’s actions were tied to his drug addiction and that structured treatment offered him the best chance at turning his life around.
“.. If you are to have any real opportunity to reform, you will need help,” she told Rae, adding the court-mandated drug diversion programme will give him “the most realistic prospect of reform”.
