Third male arrested in connection with aggravated robbery of Mobil Havelock North appears in court

Police arrested three young males in relation to an aggravated robbery at Mobil Havelock North last Monday. Photo / Paul Taylor

A young man arrested in relation to an aggravated robbery in Havelock North last week has appeared in court.

Shaun Dylan Hunt, 22, appeared in the Hastings District Court yesterday morning after being arrested on Saturday afternoon.

The Havelock North man is the third alleged offender involved in a raid at Mobil Havelock North last Monday, when a lone store attendant was confronted by a man said to be brandishing a knife and forced to hand over cash just after 8pm.

The incident occurred just hours after another reported aggravated robbery at Pricecutter superette in Napier's Maraenui shopping centre, where a young male threatened a shopkeeper with a mallet and fled with cash and cigarettes.

As of yesterday afternoon there were no arrests for the Maraenui incident but a police spokeswoman said the investigation was ongoing and they were following positive lines of inquiry.

Hunt was jointly charged with two male teenagers, aged 16 and 17, with two charges of aggravated robbery.

He was also jointly charged with preparing to commit a crime in a public place at BP Havelock North, a summary offence which carries a maximum penalty of $2000.

Hunt, a fruit picker, was remanded on bail without plea for legal aid and will next appear on May 22.

The two male teenagers jointly charged after the incident appeared on Saturday and were both remanded on bail without plea to reappear in May.

Their arrests came after police executed a search warrant in Havelock North last Friday.

Police inquiries established the alleged offenders were in a Subaru station wagon which was allegedly stolen shortly before the robbery from Lipscombe Crescent, Havelock North.

Police said it was possible they canvassed a number of other stores in Havelock North before the aggravated robbery.

At the time of the third arrest police also recovered the stolen dark green Subaru station wagon, after earlier requesting information or sightings from the public.

Police have said there are now no offenders outstanding in relation to this incident.

The maximum penalty for aggravated robbery is 14 years' imprisonment.