By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A man who stabbed an elderly shop-keeper during a robbery at a Noble Park milk bar in March has been jailed for up to five years.
Tony Van Nguyen, 31, of Springvale, had pleaded guilty to armed robbery and intentionally causing injury over the attack on the 63-year-old victim on 28 March.
Judge Claire Quin noted during sentencing at the Victorian County Court on 7 October the “gratuitous” and “vicious” attack had a significant impact on the victim.
The shop-keeper had stated in his victim impact statement that he felt the attack was not over and would never end.
“My body aches, my mind is a mess, my finances are zero and no longer trust.
“Life without trust and security is a very dark place.”
During the attack, which was captured on CCTV, Nguyen, wearing a cap, dark hoodie and sunglasses, asked the victim for cigarettes.
When the attendant turned to unlock the cigarette cabinet, Nguyen pulled out a 30-centimetre knife, put his arm around the man’s neck and held a knife to the man’s throat.
During a struggle, the victim was stabbed in the legs, hands and ear about 10 times.
He was pushed to the floor by Nguyen, who demanded his wallet and then stole $200 from the cash register.
He was later hospitalised for multiple puncture wounds.
Nguyen later claimed he had forgotten the knife was in his hand when he started punching the victim.
During the scuffle, Nguyen’s cap and sunglasses were dislodged which enabled his face to be identified on CCTV.
Nguyen was arrested at Monash Medical Centre on 4 April where he was being treated for a drug overdose.
His counsel had told the County Court that he’d tried to kill himself with sleeping pills and a large dose of heroin because he thought he had killed the attendant.
Nguyen had “gone off the rails” after his mother died from cancer more than a decade ago. He descended to heroin use, and committed drug and dishonesty offences.
At one stage he briefly moved to Queensland to escape the drug scene and went on a methadone program.
Several weeks before the armed robbery, Nguyen was unemployed, with little income and had relapsed into heroin use. The robbery was fuelled by Nguyen’s drug habit.
Judge Quin said Nguyen’s rehabilitation prospects were good, given his family support and his reasonable work history.
“Hopefully, your viewing of the CCTV footage and your remorse will dissuade you from heroin use in the future.”
Nguyen’s parole period was set at three years. He was ordered to provide police with a DNA sample.
