Judge sentences Bendigo bakery armed robber

William Mitchell Slater entered the Napier Street bakery on the morning of August 31 with a brick he had picked up nearby.

The 40-year-old slammed the brick on the counter and said, "If you don't give me all of your money out of the till, I'll smash your face in and throw the brick through the front window".

He also demanded drugs.

The owner said he did not have drugs, but gave Slater $10 and $20 notes from the till. Slater also reached over and took out $5 notes.

Slater then left the store, but before he walked out he said, "I know what's going to happen now, I'm warning you, I'll be back".

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A bystander called 000 and Slater was arrested at a nearby bus stop, where he was found with the $85 from the bakery.

Slater was sentenced on Friday, after pleading guilty earlier this year to armed robbery.

Slater's defence lawyer, Patrick Gordon, submitted that his client ought serve a term of imprisonment and a community corrections order, and be released to a residential rehabilitation facility.

Mr Gordon said Judge Phillip Coish did not have to accept an assessment report that deemed Slater was unsuitable for a corrections order, and it could be a condition of an order that Slater undergo treatment organised by Corrections Victoria.

Prosecutor Jenny Croxford said there was not enough detail as to how a community corrections order would work.

"There are some serious practical difficulties with a CCO as Corrections are presenting it," Ms Croxford said.

Judge Coish commended the efforts of the defence team to secure support for Slater, but rejected the submission he ignore the Corrections assessment Slater was unsuitable.

Instead, he sentenced Slater to two years and six months' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 18 months.

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Slater had already served 333 days of the sentence.

In sentencing Slater, Judge Coish took into account in his favour his guilty plea.

He noted Slater had a "grossly disadvantaged upbringing" and a long-term drug abuse problem, which began at the age of 10.

Judge Coish also said Slater had significant mental health issues.

Slater's prospects of rehabilitation were "cloudy", he said, and his offending was very serious.

He accepted that while the crime was brief and impulsive, "it was an armed robbery and it was no doubt distressing for the victim".

Judge Coish said Slater had previous convictions for an array of offences, including robbery and theft, and had breached several previous community-based orders.

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