Man Charged over Alleged Knifepoint Robbery

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

A man is due to face court today over his alleged role in a West Wallsend armed robbery.

Police say the 28-year-old was armed with a knife when he entered a store on Carrington Street just before 11 o'clock Wednesday morning.

He is accused of threatening a female employee at the store and demanding cash before fleeing the scene in a Toyota Camry with alleged stolen number plates.

While Lake Macquarie police officers responded to the incident, the man's alleged getaway vehicle was noticed travelling at speed by Highway Patrol officers.

Officers pulled the car over and spoke with the driver before searching the vehicle, in which they allegedly located clothing and cash.

The man was arrested and taken to Toronto Police Station where officers charged him with robbery whilst armed, goods in custody and two counts of fraud.

Boy "kicked" and "slapped" by Teen in Edgeworth

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A teenager has been charged after he allegedly kicked and slapped another boy in Birmingham Gardens.

Police say a 15-year-old was allegedly kicked to the head and slapped before his phone was stolen on Rae Street at about 1am yesterday morning.

Police were called to the scene and gave first aid to the injured boy who was then taken to the John Hunter Hospital for treatment for head and leg injuries.

A 16-year-old teenager was arrested at the scene and charged with robbery and assault.

He'll face a children's court next month.

Spate of Robberies in Newcastle Spark Police Warning

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police are urging businesses throughout Newcastle to stay vigilant after a spate of robberies in the area.

In particular, a number of robberies have been committed at bakeries in the early hours of the morning.

No one has been injured during the break-ins, but police are urging business owners to keep the doors locked if you're at work outside of opening hours and be aware during the early hours of the day.

Police are giving these tips to business owners:

- Keep front and back doors locked when preparing products ahead of opening hours;
- Maintain situational awareness prior to entering the store, especially during the early hours of the day;
- Don't open the door for anyone you don't know or anyone who shouldn't be there.

Police on the hunt for a man who robbed a taxi driver in Raymond Terrace

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police are still on the hunt for a man who held up a taxi driver in Raymond Terrace last week.

Just after 6pm last Saturday (15th July 2017) a 33-year-old taxi driver collected a man on Maitland Road in Mayfield.

The taxi got as far as Morgan Crescent in Raymond Terrace when the man allegedly pulled out a knife and held it to the taxi driver's throat and demanded cash.

The driver gave the man cash and he then left.

The man was last seen running in a westerly direction along Morgan Street and is described as being aged in his 30s, approximately 177cm tall, of medium build with a beard and a tattoo on the right side of his neck.

Anyone with any information is being urged to contact officers at Raymond Terrace Police Station as investigations continue.

Police want to speak with this man.

Swift thief steals charity tin

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police are looking for a thief who calming and quickly stole a charity tin from a Hamilton newsagent over the weekend.

The man calmly entered the newsagent on Saturday morning and CCTV footage shows him walk over to the unattended counter and swiftly put a charity tin in his bag and leave just as calmly as he entered.

The daylight robbery is being described as a very low act with the charity tin having collected around $240 for the John Hunter Children's Hospital.

Police are looking to speak with the man pictured in the CCTV footage - he was wearing a green jumper and has a large build.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

Man arrested following armed robbery at Abermain

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A 35-year-old man has been arrested and held on multiple charges following an armed robbery in Abermain on Monday.

Police arrested the man at around 5pm yesterday after stopping a vehicle on Victory Parade, Jesmond.

It follows his alleged involvement in a break-and-enter at Abermain bowling club on Monday evening.

It is alleged the arrested man and another man forced their way into the bowling club, armed with a shortened firearm and sledge hammer, and approached a female employee before binding her hands and feet with duct tape. They then proceeded to ransack the premises, fleeing in a stolen vehicle with a large sum of cash.

Police attended the bowling club, where they untied the woman and established a crime scene. A stolen vehicle was found burnt-out in a nearby street.

The man has been charged with armed robbery, damage to property by fire and driving while disqualified.

He is also facing larceny charges relating to an incident on Sunday 11th June at a hardware store at Taylors Beach.

Investigations into the robbery continue, whilst the man has been refused bail and will appear at Newcastle Local Court today.

Woman taped up after robbery at Abermain

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police are investigating an armed robbery at Abermain Bowling Club where a female employee was left terrified after being tied up with duct tape by two men.

At about 10:30 last night, the pair smashed the front doors of the club with a sledgehammer and reportedly threatened the employee with a firearm before tackling her to the ground.

The men tied the woman up, but released her a short time later demanding she access the safe and then took her to the gaming area where they forced her to get cash from an ATM, an e-bet machine and poker machines.

The woman was taped up for a second time, before the men fled the scene with a large amount of cash in a white Nissan Pulsar not even ten minutes later.

Police later found the car burnt out nearby.

Officers from the Central Hunter Local Area Command set up a crime scene and anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Investigations continue into armed robbery in Lake Macquarie

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police have released CCTV footage of a holdup at the Swansea Workers Club in an effort to find the two men responsible.

Two men with their faces covered threatened staff with a shortened shotgun at the Rawson Street business on January 8, and fled with an amount of cash.

A vehicle was recovered burnt in bushland in the Nords Wharf area, which police believe was used by the men to make their getaway.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Offenders on the run after incidents in Tarro overnight

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Maitland Police are investigating a number of incidents overnight they believe are linked to a pair of offenders.

Just after midnight, the Metro service station at Tarro was robbed by a man 6ft tall and of average build wearing a black hoodie covered with a red bandanna.

He didn't produce a weapon, but managed to get away with cigarettes and cash, and fled the scene with the help of an accomplice in a stolen Ford Focus hatchback.

The same vehicle was later found on fire outside the Malliboolah Sports Centre.

The offenders are still on the run, possibly in another stolen vehicle - a Suzuki Swift, which was reported missing not far away at about 5:30 this morning at Tanilba Bay.

Investigations are continuing.

Woman bashed and robbed at Sangate

BY JARROD MELMETH

Police are on the hunt for a man who bashed and robbed a 39-year-old woman in Sandgate this morning.

The woman was walking to her car after finishing her shift at a Mangrove Road business when she was attacked at around 2:20am in the carpark.

It's alleged the man punched her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground, before taking off with her purse, phone and watch.

Newcastle detectives are investigating and anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police on the hunt for dawn bandits

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Central Hunter Police are on the hunt for a group of bandits who targeted two businesses within 48 hours threatening victims before demanding cash and cigarettes.

The first occurred on Saturday morning at a Bellbird service station at about 6:25am. The second target, an Aberdare newsagency was held up at the same time yesterday.

Police are confident both robberies are the work of the same group and believe at least three petrol thefts around the Coalfields could also be linked.

Both robberies occurred on main roads and police are hopeful motorists may have seen something at either location.

Anyone with information are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.