A PAROLEE spent three hours as a free man before he robbed a bottle shop at Cessnock and carjacked and assaulted an 83-year-old man at Kearsley.
Dane Adam Williams, 40, was released on parole from Cessnock Correctional Centre at 9.30am on March 29 last year.
By 12.30pm he had held up the Liquorland bottle shop at Cessnock, about a 30-minute walk from the jail, ordered a man at knifepoint to drive him from the scene and then carjacked an elderly man at Kearsley.
At 1.10pm that day, less than four hours after his release, police spotted Williams driving the stolen Lexus on the M1 at Beresfield and he was taken back into custody, ending perhaps the briefest period spent on parole before re-offending.
Williams appeared in Newcastle Local Court this week via audio visual link from the Mid North Coast Correctional Centre where he pleaded guilty to armed robbery, aggravated carjacking with assault inflicting actual bodily harm and intimidation.
He will next appear in Newcastle District Court next month to get a sentence date.
According to an agreed statement of facts, Williams walked into the Cessnock Liquorland about 12.30pm, grabbed two cartons of pre-mix spirits and headed for the counter.
But as the staff member was scanning his drinks, Williams whispered: "Give me the cash out of the till".
The woman didn't hear what he said and looked up to see Williams holding a large kitchen knife.
She handed over $450 and Williams left the store with the cash and one of his cartons of pre-mix drinks.
Outside, Williams approached a man sitting in his car and said: "Excuse me mate, I'm having a bad day. I'd like your car keys please."
The man told Williams to "f--- off" and said he was calling the police.
He then approached another man in his car and asked for a ride.
Despite repeatedly being told no, Williams insisted, eventually producing the knife and saying: "I really need to get out of town".
The victim later told police he was intimidated but felt sorry for Williams and agreed to give him a lift.
During the car ride, Williams cried and apologised and the victim tried to help him, despite the fact he had a knife.
"I'm sorry, I've never done anything like this before," Williams told the victim. "Can you just pull over to the side of the road?"
Williams got out and started crying again, hugging the man who he had just held at knifepoint.
"Don't get out here mate," the victim told Williams. "I'll at least take you to the highway where you can at least hitch to the train station or wherever you want to go."
Williams agreed but then a short time later saw a service station at Kearsley and asked to be dropped off.
He picked up his knife and alcohol and as he got out of the car, cash began spilling from his jacket pocket.
"Mate you dropped your money," the victim told Williams.
Williams scooped up his cash, dropped two cans of pre-mix gin on the front seat, apologised and headed off.
But unfortunately, that put Williams into the path of an 83-year-old man who was putting fuel into his Lexus at a service station on Allandale Road.
Williams spoke briefly to the man, waited for him to finishing filling up then tried to climb into the front seat, triggering a three-and-a-half minute struggle between the two men.
Williams pushed the man down and the 83-year-old responded by repeatedly punching him in the head through the open car window.
Eventually, Williams drove off and was spotted on the M1 at Beresfield at 1.10pm where he was arrested without incident.
When asked why he stole the 83-year-old man's car, Williams replied: "I had nowhere to go, and I was heading somewhere."
To see more stories and read today's paper download the Newcastle Herald news app here.
