Armed robber masked hot car

A MAN who robbed a pharmacy while armed with a gun and wearing a balaclava had repainted and modified a stolen car the morning of the robbery, a court has heard.

Jamie Ray May, 42, faced Townsville District Court yesterday to be sentenced for the robbery, which took place on December 22, 2016, and a range of other charges.

He pleaded guilty to armed robbery in company, enter premises and commit indictable offence by break, stealing, possessing dangerous drugs, producing dangerous drugs, three counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, wilful damage, five counts of fraud and unlawful entry of vehicle for committing an indictable offence at night in company.

Crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard said May and his then partner Diana Ludlow broke into a car yard and entered three cars.

“They drove through the gate of that premises and stole one of them for the purposes of committing the robbery,” she said. “They went back to the defendant’s house … they sought to further conceal their identities by painting and disguising the car. They changed the colour from green to white, they removed the rear spoiler of the vehicle and attached registration plates to the car.”

Ms Sheppard said May and his co- offender then fuelled the car without paying, before going on to commit an armed robbery at a pharmacy, which had five people in it at the time.

“The defendant’s behaviour can only be described as erratic and terrifying for those occupants of that pharmacy,” she said.

CCTV footage played to the court showed two people hiding in an aisle, while another ran out the door, with May chasing after him.

Ms Sheppard said May then waited in the doorway before a staff member threw a duffel bag filled with drugs and money in his direction.

The court heard May also faced charges for producing small amounts of methylamphetamine at his home, stealing a motorbike and using a bank card that wasn’t his to purchase items.

Defence barrister Scott Geeves said his client made arrangements to hand himself into police over the armed robbery. The court heard May had spent the last 17 months in presentence custody.

May received a head sentence of eight- and- a- half years from Judge Douglas SC. He will be eligible for parole on November 2, 2019. May’s alleged co- offender Ludlow is expected to face trial.