An 18-year-old Hastings youth has been sentenced to six years in prison for the aggravated robberies of two dairies earlier this year.
Ricky Lee Koroheke was sentenced by Judge Geoff Rea in Napier District Court for the two robberies, one where he pointed a shotgun at two victims, yelling: "Get down,I'll shoot, I'll shoot."
On August 21 this year, Koroheke entered the Southland Road Superette in Hastings with a metal bar, threatening the owners and leaving with 28 packets of cigarettes valued at $819 and $300 cash. He had hidden his face with a red bandanna.
A week later he committed another robbery, this time armed with a shotgun.
He entered Lantern Light Dairy on Grove Rd at about 6.15pm on August 31 where the incident was caught on CCTV.
Koroheke sat on a picnic table outside, scoping the dairy out for 10 minutes before entering.
Wearing a black balaclava, Koroheke reached over the till to get money out but when unsuccessful pointed the gun at two store workers and threatened he would shoot.
He then went through into the back area of the store, pointing the gun at others demanding they give him money.
Shortly after he fled the store with cigarettes, valued at $637.12 and $520 cash.
Police arrested Koroheke on September 3.
His lawyer Richard Stone said Koroheke had come from a troubled past.
In sentencing, Judge Rea said the impact the robberies would have had on the victims would have been terrifying.
"It doesn't take much of an imagination to see how terrifying that would be. For less than $2000 you've scared seven people."
