A 54-year-old man from South Hurstville has been charged with multiple armed robberies across Sydney. He was arrested less than 500 metres from the Lindt Café in Martin Place, with police alleging that he was holding a replica gun at time of arrest.
The poor Lindt Café really can’t catch a break – they reopened just 10 days ago after taking a hiatus for three months due to the Martin Place siege late last year. Solo gunman, Man Haron Monis, held seventeen people hostage at the café in December 2014. Monis passed away on the last day of the siege, along with two of his hostages, Katrina Dawson and Lindt Café manager Tori Johnson.
On Sunday afternoon, two Sydney police officers were patrolling George Street and received reports from multiple witnesses that a man was carrying a gun on the busy street, near Martin Place.
Officers apprehended the man at approximately 2pm Sunday afternoon. According to SMH, witnesses to the arrest said that they heard police yell “Where is the gun?” repeatedly, as they searched the man’s pockets and bag. A plastic replica gun was found in a plastic bag belonging to the man during the search.
The man was taken to Day Street police station and charged with 8 counts of robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon. The robberies all occurred late February through to the end of March, and the man held a semi-automatic pistol during each one. He reportedly also wore a surgical mask during some of the robberies.
He will appear in Central Local Court on Monday, and has been refused bail.
