Wollongong man pleads guilty to armed robbery of poker machine winners
Jahliv Peta pleaded guilty to robbing up to two men at knifepoint for their casino winnings in March and April.
On March 18, Peta approached a man at Mr Crown in Wollongong after the man had won money from poker machines. A co-accused pressured the victim for $100, then Peta held a knife to the man's waist and took $300 to $350 in winnings.
On April 1, Peta and his co-accused spotted another man win $1700 at Collegians, followed him onto Keira Street, and Peta demanded cash at knifepoint. When the victim refused, Peta threatened to stab him and pulled a pocket knife.
The victim slipped out of his shirt and ran. Peta was arrested on April 9 and pleaded guilty in Wollongong Local Court on October 7 to assault with intent to rob and robbery while armed with a weapon.
Judge Geraldine Beattie committed his matters to District Court for sentencing.
- 24 years old
- Age
- Two: March 18 and April 1
- Robberies
- $300 to $350 and $1700
- Amounts taken
- October 7 in Wollongong Local Court
- Guilty plea date
Why it mattersThe crimes show a pattern of targeting people known to have cash, making venues and streets less safe for anyone playing poker machines.
AustraliaResidents in Wollongong's CBD faced targeted armed robberies that went unprosecuted for months until police arrested the suspect.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
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