A former Wollongong man who carried out a "terrifying" armed robbery on a Sussex Inlet club and stole over $62,000 will spend at least a decade in jail for his crimes.
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Shortly before 11pm on July 25, 2019, Daniel Forbes and a co-offender - each carrying a sledgehammer and the latter also wielding a sawn-off shotgun or imitation - smashed their way into the Sussex Inlet RSL club.
Both were wearing black balaclavas, black sunglasses and black gloves.
Five of the six staff members locked themselves in the manager's office while Forbes confronted their colleague outside.
His co-offender, pointing the shotgun at the man, forced him to sit in the gaming area while Forbes used the sledgehammer to break open the office door.
Forbes demanded the safe be opened and after filling a gym bag with cash, ordered the workers to get inside the safe before his co-offender locked them inside.
They remained inside for about 20 minutes before help arrived, while the two robbers made off with $62,345 in cash.
At the time Forbes was in rental arrears of $7600 which he could not pay - his bank account held just 9 cents - and on the day of the robbery the real estate agent informed him it would seek to terminate his tenancy of his Wollongong unit, garnish his wages, and list him on a database preventing him from renting for three years.
On July 26, Forbes used cash to buy a TV for $1888 and deposited $15,000 cash into his landlord's bank account.
In October that year, Forbes told his mother he had no involvement in the robbery and claimed phone records would bear that out; he would echo this to another person after his arrest in May 2021.
But following a trial at Nowra District Court, a jury found Forbes guilty of specially aggravated break and enter and committing a serious indictable offence, being armed robbery in company, as well as six counts of detaining a person for advantage while in company.
On Friday, July 5, Judge William Fitzsimmons sentenced Forbes, now in his mid-40s, to 17 years' imprisonment with a minimum term of 10 years.
He said the robbery was a "particularly serious example" of such offences, although not the most serious.
"The initial break and entering was particularly violent and would undoubtedly have been terrifying for the staff inside the club," Judge Fitzsimmons said.
"Their fear would have been heightened by the fact that the co-offender was armed with what appeared to be a double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun."
The crime involved planning, he said, with Forbes purchasing the sledgehammers earlier that same day for the robbery and leaving his phone in Wollongong to avoid incrimination.
Judge Fitzsimmons noted that Forbes had previously been jailed for several years for aggravated break and enter and committing a serious indictable offence.
None of the cash was recovered.
The court heard Forbes had a difficult childhood and suffered a substance use disorder after turning to drugs following abuse and the death of his sister.
Judge Fitzsimmons found Forbes' prospects of rehabilitation were "guarded" but offered him a longer period on parole to gain help for his drug use.
With time already served, Forbes will become eligible for release on parole in May 2032.
Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
