Armed men jailed for bowling club robbery

CCTV footage shows the harrowing moment a female employee at the Abermain Bowling Club was confronted by two armed men who forced their way into the club one evening in 2017.

The employee of the Cessnock club was preparing to close up for the night when Brent William Henderson and Joel Brendon Shoesmith broke in, one brandishing a gun and the other with hammer in hand.

The violent robbery was caught on CCTV, and has just been released.

It shows the horrifying moment the employee realised what was occurring, as she put her arms up in fear and was then ordered to get on the ground.

One of the intruders used gaffer tape to tie her wrists and ankles together while the other went to the register in search of cash.

The pair soon realised that they would need the woman’s assistance so they untied her and took her to the pokies room where she unlocked each machine, as the men loaded their bag with almost $16,000 in cash.

They then tied her up again so they could clear out.

Last week Mr Henderson was found guilty of the armed robbery and was sentenced to seven and a half years jail, with a non-parole period of three years and nine months.

He will be eligible for release in January 2023.

In April 2019, Mr Shoesmith was jailed after pleading guilty to armed robbery, serving a seven year jail sentence. He has a non-parole period of four years and will be eligible for release in July this year.

Irit Jackson, 17th March