File image. © Andrew Bardwell
Pub armed robber Anthony Reihana has been jailed for seven years six months.
The prison term was imposed by Judge Raoul Neave at 47-year-old Reihana’s sentencing in the Christchurch District Court today.
He had pleaded guilty to an armed robbery and an attempted armed robbery charge on June 23, a few days before his jury trial was due to start.
He has been in custody since April 2014 when he was arrested for the two armed incidents.
He admitted the attempted armed robbery of Robbie’s Bar and Bistro in Cranford Street on March 16, 2014, and the robbery of the Brickworks Restaurant and Bar in Centaurus Road, Cashmere, on April 6, 2014.
Police raided and searched three properties in Riccarton, Barrington, and Linwood on April 7, 2014, and arrested three men. One of them was charged with receiving the stolen money, but that charge was dropped, and a robbery charge against one of those arrested was also dropped.
Wesley Winfield Barnett, 43, admitted the armed robbery of the Brickworks and possession of methamphetamine, and was jailed for six years six months on July 30, 2014.
That left only Reihana in custody awaiting his jury trial, and his sentencing today completes all of the prosecutions over the two incidents.
A masked intruder carrying a shotgun confronted a worker at Robbie’s Bar and Bistro while he was closing the bar.
The Brickworks was robbed as it was closing early on a Sunday morning.
Two men entered the closed bar with their faces covered with scarves, and holding firearms, and demanded cash from the three male staff members The staff were forced to lie on the floor and empty the contents of the office safe into a backpack.
During the robbery, the cleaner was pushed in the chest with the firearm, and struck with the butt of the weapon.
The robbers had black duct tape and said they were going to tape-up the victims, but gave up that idea when Barnett could not bite the tape.
Instead, they told the victims to wait five minutes because they would be waiting outside.
The robbers then fled in a vehicle with the money – more than $1000 from the weekend’s takings and poker machine floats.
The two young bar staff and a cleaner were not hurt in the robbery but were to receive counselling from Victim Support.
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