Joshua Rodney Cox, 28, had brandished a knife before being locked inside the store. But he smashed a glass panel in the front door by kicking it and escaped down Wagga Road.

He was pursued by the Domino’s pizza manager along with two other men and shortly afterwards officers in a passing police vehicle were alerted.

They arrested Cox after giving him a burst of capsicum spray which forced him to drop a black-handled knife.

Cox appeared in Albury Local Court yesterday through a video link from Junee jail and was committed for sentencing in the District Court at Albury in February on an armed robbery charge.

Solicitor Elizabeth Bushby said Cox had been in the armed forces before being honourably discharged with post traumatic stress disorder.

Ms Bushby said a psychiatric report was being sought on Cox before his sentencing.

Magistrate Tony Murray was told in tendered facts that Cox went through the front door of the pizza shop about 10.30pm on June 28 and asked for two bottles of soft drink, the manager handed them over and waited for payment.

Instead Cox pulled out a knife and said: “Give me the money from the till.”

The manager feared for his safety and handed over $20, $10 and $5 notes.

“Where do you keep all your $50? I want any $50 notes,” Cox said.

It was explained there were no $50 notes in the till and he demanded $2 coins be handed over.

The manager reached under the counter and activated a front door lock.