A GEELONG teenager was on a drug binge when he robbed a Leopold service station at knifepoint.
Jayton Lindsay had consumed about 40 Xanax tablets when he waltzed into BP on the Bellarine Hwy and threatened a worker with a knife, before stealing cash and cigarettes.
The County Court heard the armed holdup came at the end of a four-hour crime spree that involved the 18-year-old targeting homes and parked cars around Leopold.
Lindsay, now 19, of Norlane, pleaded guilty on Monday to charges including armed robbery, theft and attempted burglary.
Prosecutor Philip Teo said the teenager’s offending took place on the morning of June 1 last year.
The robbery victim was working at the service station about 5am when he remotely unlocked the front door to allow Lindsay inside.
After entering the store, Lindsay — wearing a face mask — approached the counter and pulled out a knife from under his clothes.
The court heard the teen robber reached through the gap of a plastic barricade on the counter and waved the knife while demanding cash and cigarettes.
During the terrifying incident, Lindsay instructed the victim to not press any security buttons.
He fled the store with money and dozens of cigarette packets with a combined value of $2000.
Mr Teo said Lindsay was arrested about 20 minutes later when police spotted him on Melaluka Rd.
While being interviewed, the former apprentice tradie told police he had been on a “Xanax binge” and that his brain “wasn’t all there”.
The court heard Lindsay’s crime spree around Leopold had started about 1am when he was captured on CCTV footage trying to gain entry into a house on Hillclimb Dr.
After the attempt proved unsuccessful, Lindsay raided a car parked in the driveway, stealing a Louis Vuitton clutch bag, lip sticks and cosmetics valued at $1600.
A short time later, the teenager stole a first aid kit and cash from a car parked on the same street.
He then tried to get into a car outside a home on Village Green Dr, but was unsuccessful.
The armed robbery happened less than three hours later.
Lindsay spent 58 days in custody before being granted bail in July last year.
Judge Sandra Davis will sentence the teenager on Wednesday.
Extracted from Geelong Advertiser