A teenage girl who subjected a Hobart service station worker to a terrifying ordeal while armed with a razor blade has been let off without conviction.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, stole four packs of cigarettes and two pouches of tobacco from the Claremont Ampol on December 4, 2023.
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Estcourt said the teenager entered the service station around 7pm and waited in the shop for some time before producing a razor blade from her pocket.
He said the teenager then went behind the counter, pointed the blade at the worker and opened the cupboard containing cigarettes, ignoring the staff member’s pleas not to take them.
“Fortunately, he did not suffer any physical injuries but he did suffer emotionally and psychologically for some time,” Estcourt said, referring to the victim impact statement.
“It seems, luckily for all concerned, that he was a strong character and as a result he has put the incident behind him, although he has said it did shake him up for a week and took considerable strength and meditation and his practice of yoga to be able to move forward from it.”
The incident escalated what could have been a stealing charge into the more serious offence of armed robbery, but Estcourt described it as being at the “lower end” of the scale.
He noted the teenager was already subject to a probation order for 12 months from June 25, requiring her to report to a Youth Justice worker and obey their instructions and not commit any offence punishable by imprisonment.
“It’s pointless, therefore, in me making a second or subsequent order,” he said.
“The order has not yet been embarked upon and, in all of the circumstances, I record no conviction.”
The teenager spent 14 days in custody over the incident.
She earlier this year appeared in the Magistrates Court over unrelated charges and pleaded guilty to 21 counts of stealing, 16 counts of burglary, 9 counts of computer-related fraud, 4 counts of breach of bail, 1 count of possession of a controlled drug, 2 counts of attempted burglary and 1 count of unlawful possession of property.
Estcourt said she has a range of other prior appearances before the court but no convictions.
