Four males have been charged after an alleged armed robbery at a Moonah convenience store which left a worker hospitalised with facial injuries and is now too scared to return to work.
Police arrested two Claremont men aged 20 and 19, plus a 16-year-old Claremont boy and 14-year-old Bridgewater boy during coordinated raids about 5:30am on Friday.
The arrests followed Thursday night’s alleged attack at Moonah Minimart on Main Road, where worker Noman Qadeer was threatened with knives and glass bottles.
Qadeer, 25, who only started working at the store a week earlier after moving from Perth, said two teenagers initially entered demanding cash and lighters.
“I said ‘sorry for that, I can’t help you with that, but if you want any free drinks, I will give to you, but do not do any sh*t in the store’,” he told Pulse.
“They were having beer bottles.”
“They shown it to me that and said ‘we will smash your face, we will smash your head’.”
He said the two older males then arrived and the attack escalated, with Qadeer claiming he was struck in the head with glass bottles and threatened with a knife.
“They hit me a lot. I have injuries on my nose and my head,” he said.
Hospital tests revealed torn nasal tissue and head injuries.
Qadeer said he was too scared to return to work and was still shaking today.
Detectives conducted simultaneous searches of two Claremont properties, allegedly recovering stolen smoking devices and lighters.
All four have been charged with aggravated armed robbery and will appear in court today.
Police are seeking witnesses or anyone with dash cam or CCTV footage from near 50 Main Road, Moonah, around 8:50pm Thursday to come forward.
