After his co-offenders threatened to slice the throats of a teenage drug dealer and his girlfriend, Deepak Chandra Sharma emerged from his hiding spot in nearby bushes wielding a baseball bat.
Sharma, 20, was the mastermind behind the violent robbery of the 19-year-old dealer in Brisbane's southeast, in April 2021, the District Court heard.
Two days after buying cannabis off the teenager Sharma organised to purchase some more, luring him to a Capalaba home.
When the teenage dealer arrived in his car with his girlfriend, two of Sharma's co-offenders jumped in the back seat.
"Both men produced knives and held them to the necks of the complainant and his girlfriend threatening to slice them if they didn't hand over property," crown prosecutor Evan O'Hanlon-Rose said.
Sharma then emerged with another co-offender, threatening the teen dealer with the baseball bat.
"In a somewhat bizarre twist Mr Sharma then came out of some bushes near the car," Mr O'Hanlon-Rose said.
"Mr Sharma pushed the baseball bat through the driver's window and into the complainant's face while demanding his bum bag and property."
Sharma pulled out the car keys from the ignition before taking the dealer's bag which had about $700 cash while the back seat co-offenders grabbed the drugs.
At one stage one of them punched the 19-year-old in the face, breaking his glasses, before Sharma ran back into the bushes.
Police were called and Sharma was found nearby.
He was unco-operative with officers but CCTV footage captured him carrying the baseball bat at the time of the incident and partial footage of the robbery.
Sharma on Tuesday pleaded guilty to one count each of armed robbery in company and possession of a dangerous drug.
"You are liable for the planning and facilitating of the robbery. You were a principal offender," Judge Katherine McGinness said.
"You were armed as were others in your group. The offending was premeditated and there was actual violence used - this is serious offending."
Sharma spent 22 days in pre-sentence custody which was recognised as time served.
He was sentenced to three years in jail but was released on immediate parole.
