Judge Marilyn Harbison sentenced Terrence Francis Wadley, 59, of Wangaratta, in the Wangaratta County Court on Monday to a maximum sentence of four years and six months in jail with a non-parole of two years.

Wadley pleaded guilty to the armed robbery and false imprisonment of his former colleague at Gathercole’s abattoir at Wangaratta on October 23 last year.

The court heard Wadley, who chose to leave his job last February, was unhappy with his treatment at the abattoir in Greta Road and had been unable to get another job since he left.

He told investigator Detective Leading Sen-Constable Mark Hussey he saw his former boss’ car parked outside the business and thought he would teach him a lesson.

Wadley, who wore a blue-hooded jumper pulled over his head to disguise himself, watched as his victim got into his silver BMW at 3.30pm and got in the front passenger seat.

He demanded the victim drive him to the pub and produced a 15 to 20-centimetre filleting knife.

As the car approached the Town and Country Tavern on the corner of Greta and Cribbes road, Wadley told the victim to keep driving out of town.

Wadley told the victim, who was in fear of his life, to stop the car when they had driven about 700 metres down Adams Track, a remote road that leads into the Warby Ranges National Park.

He then took the victim’s wallet and instructed him to write down the PIN of each of his credit cards on the back of a receipt before telling him to get out of the car. The victim ran to a nearby house and phoned triple-0.

Wadley drove the BMW to Yarrawonga, parked it in Piper Street and walked into the police station where he told police he had committed a car-jacking at Wangaratta.