By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A man has faced sentence over the armed robbery of a worker in Cranbourne Park shopping centre’s rooftop car park at dawn.
Pajok Chuol, then 27, held a metal baseball bat as he approached a 19-year-old supermarket staff-member walking from his car to work about 6.45am on 21 June.
In a psychotic state, Chuol tapped the bat on a pole and waved it around as he demanded for the victim to drive him.
Chuol took the victim’s wallet, phone and keys, telling the victim he’d leave the $5500 Barina at Frankston Police Station “when I finish with it”.
Later that morning, Chuol dumped the Barina and stole a BMW that was briefly left running outside a Doveton address.
The next day, police were called to check on a barefoot Chuol at a roadhouse in Charlton. He reportedly bogged the BMW and had no money.
After police discovered the car was stolen, Chuol was arrested. He was transferred to Casey Hospital under a mental health Treatment Order.
After his discharge, he was charged with armed robbery and theft and remanded in custody.
In sentencing on 16 April, County Court judge Frank Gucciardo said Chuol had intended to drive to Alice Springs to join his family.
His offending was in large part related to his psychotic state at the time, Judge Gucciardo said. Chuol was on a treatment order at the time.
The judge noted no violence or physical injury ensued.
But Chuol’s “opportunistic” theft inspired fear of violence in the victim – a “soft target” alone, isolated and in the darkness of the early hours.
“Taking other people’s property in this fashion is a prevalent and unacceptable code of conduct which calls on the court to deter and denounce where possible.”
Chuol’s “powerful” mitigatory factors included his trauma as a refugee of the Sudanese wars, his diagnosed schizophrenia and drug-affected immaturity.
At the time of the robbery, he was homeless due to an intervention order against him returning to the family home.
There was also a “complex” history of non-compliance with medication.
In Chuol’s case, the best protection of the community was successful mental health treatment, Judge Gucciardo said.
This may include lengthy hospital admission, medication as well as drug rehab in the community.
Chuol was jailed for nine months – already served in pre-sentence remand.
After his sentence, Chuol was to be transferred from remand to a hospital mental health unit for assessment.
This will be followed by a two-year treatment-based community corrections order.
