An armed robber who twice thrust a knife towards a Wodonga petrol station worker was thousands of dollars in debt, with the victim still living in fear of the man.
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"I don't care if he is sorry or remorseful in any way towards me ... I have to live with the ongoing trauma of being the victim of this incident," the woman told the Wodonga County Court on Wednesday, May 15.
Mark Joseph Lindsay, 44, had a $11,000 personal loan, had maxed out a $5000 Zip Pay account, and had just received a call from his Thai partner asking for money.
The Bradken factory worker checked his bank account and saw a negative balance of $600, and decided to commit the armed robbery on November 15, 2023.
Lindsay took a kitchen knife and drove to Coles at the Wodonga Plaza, bought a $49 packet of cigarettes, drove back to his house, performed a U-turn and went to the Elgin Boulevard Shell petrol station.
He parked nearby and walked in wearing a face mask, sunglasses and a hat at 7.38pm.
Lindsay, who wore a shirt with a black print of John Lennon, got a bottle of Coca Cola from a fridge.
The staff member said there was a promotion for two bottles, and Lindsay grabbed a second, before thrusting the knife at her and stating "give me all the money".
The terrified victim opened the register and Lindsay sped off with $382 in cash and returned to his home.
Police searched his house six days later and seized clothes, a knife, and a green Woolworths bag used in the incident.
He told police he was in debt and thought he would have gotten more cash than he did.
The victim told the court she had to quit her job and was still fearful of Lindsay.
"I hate that I've become a victim and I hate myself for being so afraid," she said in her victim impact statement.
"I feel like I've had a massive loss of power.
"My power to sense trouble before it happens is no longer reliable.
"I'm scared that I will accidentally run into the offender down the street, which has caused me to become hypervigilant in public.
"I'm terrified he's going to appear with a knife again."
The woman has suffered panic attacks and has withdrawn from life.
Light glinting off shining metal can set off the attacks.
Lawyer Jasmine Taleb said Lindsay had "financially tied himself up" before the offence.
She said he received a call from his Thai partner on the day of the incident asking for money after the woman's ex-partner broke into her home and smashed her property.
She had sought cash to move home and Lindsay has previously paid some of her travel costs.
Lindsay doesn't have any drug, alcohol, or gambling issues, and Ms Taleb said he'd made a compulsive and irrational choice to commit an armed robbery.
"His impulsive decision making is a matter that really needs to be addressed further," she said.
Lindsay has worked at the Wodonga foundry for 11 years and has no priors.
His boss provided a reference to the court, with Ms Taleb noting there had been no indication he would be sacked.
Lindsay said he wouldn't have hurt the victim, but agreed she had no way to know that.
"I feel really bad about what I did, scaring the lady," he told a psychologist.
"I would not have hurt her in any shape or form."
The prosecution is calling for jail time but Ms Taleb sought a corrections order with community work.
The matter will return to court on May 22.
