Jail for robber

A MAN who robbed a woman sex worker at a Toowoomba motel armed with a “gun” which turned out to be a gel blaster earlier this year has been jailed for three years.

Ben William Johnstone, 45, had engaged the 49-year-old woman for sex in a room at the RaceView Motor Inn on Hursley Road on the afternoon of March 13, the city’s District Court heard.

After sex, he had showered and left the motel but returned about an hour later holding what the woman believed to be a gun.

Johnstone threatened to shoot the woman if she didn’t hand over cash and at one point placed the “gun” in her buttocks, Crown prosecutor Shontelle Petrie told the court.

He robbed the woman of cash and left.

However, because they had previous liaisons, the sex worker had Johnstone’s mobile phone number which she gave to police, Ms Petrie told the District Court.

Police ascertained the phone number to belong to Johnstone who they found the next day with cash believed to be from the robbery, the court was told.

The 45-year-old made a number of admissions to police during an interview when arrested, the court heard.

He told police he had a gel blaster with him at the time.

Johnstone on Wednesday pleaded guilty to one count of armed robbery.

He had spent two days in pre-sentence custody and had been on bail since, Ms Petrie told the court.

The court heard Johnstone couldn’t explain why he had acted in the manner he did, but he put it down to an alcohol problem he had endured for some time.

Taking into account his plea of guilty, Chief Judge Brian Devereaux SC sentenced Johnstone to three years imprisonment but ordered he be released on parole as of May 5 next year after having served eight months of the head sentence.