Michael Edward Scannell, 19, pleaded guilty yesterday in Albury Local Court to a charge of robbery armed with an offensive weapon.

Magistrate Gordon Lerve committed Scannell for sentence to the District Court sittings starting in Albury on August 11 and ordered a pre-sentence report.

Mr Lerve was told in facts tendered by Director of Public Prosecutions representative Romesh Kanakaratne that Scannell went to the Caltex Starmart about 2.14am on February 6.

He was wearing a long sleeve jumper with a hood over his head, produced a 20cm knife and demanded all the money held by a console operator.

Scannell was holding a bottle in his other hand.

The operator, fearing for her safety, gave him $285 and he fled from the store across Wagga Road.

But he was seen by a witness who knew him and recognised him.

Scannell threw the bottle on the roadway, smashing it and police quickly arrived to begin their investigations.

The witness pointed out the broken bottle neck which was taken by forensic police for DNA analysis.

Police obtained the closed circuit footage from the service station and photographs of the robbery appeared in The Border Mail on February 7.

A witness made a statement to police saying that Scannell had admitted committing the offence and said it was his photograph which appeared.

Family and friends confirmed to police that Scannell had a gambling problem which became worse about the time of the offence.

He was contacted by police on February 7, attended the police station and provided a sample for DNA analysis.

Scannell was arrested and charged the following day.

A report from an analyst said Scannell’s DNA could be identified in the glass neck of the bottle seized.

He was granted bail by magistrate Tony Murray with a $5000 cash surety imposed.

Scannell has been living in the Melbourne metropolitan area since being charged and released on bail.