A second man has been charged following an investigation into an armed robbery in Newcastle last month.
About 4.45am (Wednesday 28 February 2024), police were called to a licensed premises at the intersection of Union and Bull Streets in Cooks Hill, following reports of an armed robbery.
Police have been told that two men – armed with a machete and a baseball bat – forced entry to the hotel and confronted two employees, before fleeing with cash.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District attended and found a male employee injured. Police performed CPR until the arrival of NSW Ambulance paramedics.
The employee was reportedly assaulted by one of the armed men and suffered a medical episode. He was taken to hospital in a serious condition, where he remains.
The second employee suffered minor injuries.
Local police established a crime scene and commenced inquiries under Strike Force Krichauff.
Earlier this month, one man was charged and remains before the courts.
Following further inquiries, about 7.45pm yesterday (Wednesday 13 March 2024), detectives arrested a 28-year-old man in Cooks Hill.
He was taken to Newcastle Police Station, where he was charged with robbery armed with offensive weapon, reckless grievous bodily harm – in company, and conspiracy to commit robbery in company.
He was refused bail to appear in Newcastle Local Court today (Thursday 14 March 2024).
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
