By Cam Lucadou-Wells
An armed man who kidnapped and robbed an “easy target” in central Noble Park has been jailed.
Jerome Tokarahi, 24, of Noble Park, pleaded guilty at the Victorian County Court to kidnapping, armed robbery and taking property by deception.
He had drawn an imitation semi-automatic handgun on a victim as they both walked from Noble Park railway station late at night on 14 November 2022.
“Give me your wallet. Otherwise I will shoot you.”
Tokarahi frisked the victim, stealing his bank card, driver’s license and phone.
He ordered the victim to come with him to an ATM, threatening to shoot him if he ran away. There, he demanded the victim to activate his CommBank app and withdraw $500.
The next day, Tokarahi used the bank card nine times to buy $301 worth of food, tobacco and two T-shirts and a pair of shorts from Dandenong Plaza.
All up, his robbery proceeds were $2399.
He later admitted he took advantage of a nervous-looking victim and “easy target”.
“That would be horrifying for him,” Tokarahi later said of the hold-up.
“I put myself in his shoes and it haunts me.”
Sentencing judge Michael Cahill on 2 May said there was no doubt that the victim was terrified when faced with the imitation handgun.
“He was an easy target and you took advantage of him.
“You intended him to believe the handgun was genuine and lethal.
“Venting your anger was completely unwarranted.”
Judge Cahill noted there was no physical harm to the victim, and accepted Tokarahi would not have persisted if the victim resisted.
Tokarahi grew up in New Zealand and then Dandenong. As an adult he moved to Queensland and then Noble Park.
But as a New Zealand citizen, he was at risk of being deported after serving his jail term.
A psychologist found Tokarahi had been made paranoid from years of cannabis abuse.
The accused was also diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
After an argument with his sister, his complex PTSD symptoms contributed to him “unjustifiably” venting against the victim that night.
Judge Cahill noted Tokarahi’s early guilty plea, genuine remorse, severe psychological distress, limited criminal record, family support and his relative youth.
He had “relatively good” rehabilitation prospects.
Tokarahi was jailed for up to two-and-a-half years, including 161 days in pre-sentence detention.
His non-parole period was one year and three months.
He was ordered to pay the victim $2399 in compensation.
