TRENT Heddles was holding up a service station at Nelson Bay on New Year's Day this year when he offered the terrified staff member a platitude.
"Some people have got to do what they've got to do," Heddles mumbled before snatching $200 and a packet of cigarettes and fleeing in his car.
The Nelson Bay hold-up was the first of four robberies Heddles would commit over the next 24 hours as he went in search of cash to feed his drug addiction,
Heddles targeted service stations at Weston, Neath and Cessnock between 4.30pm and 8.10pm on January 2, demanding cash and cigarettes and threatening staff.
"Empty the till or I am going to shoot you," Heddles told an attendant at Neath who tried to stall him.
He never produced a weapon, but would often gesture at something in his pocket while uttering threats.
He appeared in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday via audio visual link from jail where he pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery, demanding property with menaces, stealing petrol and possession of a prohibited drug.
He remains behind bars and will next appear in court later this month.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Heddles, now 38, of Fern Bay, started his robbery spree by walking into the Ampol service station at Nelson Bay about 4.45pm on New Year's Day and heading straight into the bathroom.
He donned gloves and a black face covering, waited for a customer to leave and then came outside and told the attendant: "I need the money from the till".
The attendant was in shock but managed to press the silent alarm.
"Sorry, we don't have a lot of cash in the till," the attendant told Heddles.
"That's OK. I just need it all," Heddles replied. "Some people have got to do what they've got to do."
He was handed $200 and asked for a packet of cigarettes before fleeing the scene.
The next day, Heddles pulled up to the pumps at Weston Petroleum about 4.30pm, walked inside to the counter and demanded money out of the till and a packet of cigarettes.
The attendant tried to stall and pretend he did not know what Heddles wanted, grabbing and scanning the cigarettes as if he wanted to purchase them.
"I'm not paying for it," Heddles said.
The attendant kept stalling, saying he needed to call his boss but Heddles barked "gimme that and gimme the cash out of the till or f---ing..." before gesturing at something in his pocket.
Eventually, Heddles left the service station with the cigarettes but no cash after he saw the attendant hit the silent alarm.
Later that afternoon, Heddles went to a service station at Neath and repeatedly demanded "empty the till".
Again, this attendant tried to stall Heddles, telling him he would lose his job, but Heddles moved his hand to his shirt and said: "empty the till or I am going to shoot you".
Terrified, the attendant handed over $600 and Heddles left.
Finally, about 8.10pm that night Heddles hit one more service station at Cessnock, filling his car up with fuel and then heading inside to demand "smokes and cash".
After being told "if you need money, I call police", Heddles left empty handed getting back into the Holden Commodore that he had used for each robbery.
Police were investigating and had linked all the robberies, receiving information that Heddles had travelled to Sydney after the Cessnock hold-up.
He was arrested at The Rocks on January 3 and police found a small quantity of methamphetamine.
He declined to be interviewed or participate in an identification parade.
