Two service station workers held up by an Border man armed with a shotgun feared they would die, a court has heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Dean Honeysett, who lives between the Albury-Wodonga and Wagga regions, donned a balaclava and brandished the sawn-off gun during the incident last year.
He targeted a Caltex in Mildura in the early hours of December 16.
Co-accused Wayne Geoffrey Taylor, who also had his face covered and was armed, will return to court on Tuesday.
The County Koori Court on Monday heard the female victims had been terrified.
"I thought I was going to die," one said through her victim impact statement.
"I was shivering inside.
"I froze, then I started to shake.
"I then just did what I was told."
IN OTHER NEWS
Her colleague said the incident, which saw the pair flee with cash and cigarettes, had destroyed her life.
"On the morning of the crime, I thought I was going to die," she said.
The woman said she went into autopilot.
"I thought I would never see my kids again," she said.
Both women documented the anger, fear, anxiety and struggles they had faced since the early morning ordeal.
Both have struggled to return to work, and Judge David Sexton noted the "catastrophic" impact such crimes could have on victims.
Honeysett was involved in a string of incidents before and after the armed robbery involving car thefts and high speed chases.
He will return to the court on December 2.
