TWO victims were set upon and assaulted during an "alarming" late night robbery in Castlemaine, a court has heard.
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Rebecca Sawka, 28, was sentenced in the County Court on Tuesday after she admitted her role in the July 5, 2020, offending.
She was jailed for 10 months after pleading guilty to charges of robbery, common law assault, possessing a drug of dependence, and possessing counterfeit money.
The court heard in the early hours of July 5, the two victims - a man and a woman - drove to meet up with a friend at Douglas Crescent in Castlemaine.
The couple were sitting in their vehicle about 12.20am when a black Suzuki Swift pulled up behind their car.
Two people exited that car and the female victim assumed it was her friends so she unlocked the back passenger door.
Sawka entered the backseat and the woman recognised her as they had gone to high school together.
Sawka's male co-accused then walked to the front passenger side door, banged on the window, and ordered the male victim to open the door.
The co-accused reached through the open part of the passenger window and unlocked the door while holding a box cutter in his hand.
He demanded money from the victim and threatened to give him a scar.
The female driver tried to start the car but Sawka punched her to the back of the head and nose.
The co-accused demanded the man hand over his gold chain, which he did, before also demanding his watch.
The female victim grabbed the watch before the co-accused could grab it and told him that she would transfer him money instead.
The co-accused agreed, before saying he would steal their car unless she transferred more money.
The woman transferred $490 to the co-accused's bank account using his mobile phone number.
The co-accused then demanded the woman hand over the watch or he would take the car.
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She handed it over and Sawka punched the male passenger in the face, before the two offenders drove off in their Suzuki Swift.
Sawka also pleaded guilty to the possession charges after police found her with 0.4 grams of methamphetamine, 3.9 grams of GHB, and five counterfeit $50 notes on June 23 and July 9.
Sawka was charged and arrested on July 9. She denied any involvement in the robbery.
Defence counsel Christopher Terry told the court while Sawka had admitted her involvement in the robbery, it was clear her co-accused was the "driving force" in the attack.
Mr Terry said the offending, which was "unsophisticated and poorly planned", could have been dealt with in the Magistrates' Court.
The defence counsel submitted that a straight jail term was an appropriate sentence, given Sawka had repeatedly breached community corrections orders in the past.
In her sentencing remarks, Judge Fiona Todd said she accepted that Sawka played a lesser role in the robbery although she was "more than a passive participant" in the assault.
Judge Todd said the robbery was clearly unsophisticated, although the conduct was "very poor" and would have been "alarming and frightening" for the two victims.
The judge said she would take into account Sawka's guilty plea, which held extra value as it was entered during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judge Todd sentenced Sawka to 10 months in jail, with 10 months reckoned as already served.
The remaining days of her 374 days of pre-sentence detention were noted and not declared.
If Sawka did not plead guilty, she would have been jailed for two years with a non-parole period of 15 months.
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