Two Canberra brothers have admitted being the knife-wielding offenders behind two armed hold-ups, the latter of which was foiled by grocery shoppers who spooked one of the men and detained the other in a citizen's arrest.
Wanniassa man Rhys Sullivan, 25, initially denied involvement in the offences. But at his arraignment in the ACT Supreme Court on Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to committing robbery and attempted robbery in company and with an offensive weapon.
The court heard his brother and co-offender, 27-year-old Joshua John Sullivan, had also now pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the December 2019 incidents.
Lawyers for the brothers are yet to agree with prosecutors on the precise facts of the offences.
But police documents previously tendered in court say the Sullivans, each armed with a knife, entered McDonald's Erindale with their faces covered in the early hours of December 27.
According to the documents, Rhys Sullivan pointed a knife at a staff member's stomach and asked where the money was. The brothers then confronted the store manager and stole from cash registers and the safe.
Following the incident, the store owner told police $1213 had been taken.
Then, late on December 28, three men who had just finished their shopping spotted the masked brothers running towards the Woolworths supermarket in Calwell.
Court documents say the brothers were again armed with knives as they entered and told employees: "We want money".
But Rhys Sullivan quickly fled, spooked by the sight of the three members of the public returning to the supermarket to confront the brothers.
According to the documents, Joshua Sullivan stayed and was emptying a cash register when one of the civilians walked up behind him and tried to restrain him in a "bear hug".
He resisted violently as all three of the civilians helped each other to perform a citizen's arrest, the documents say, and did not let go of his knife until it was wrenched out of his hand. The knife cut one of the civilians' fingers in the struggle.
Police officers arrived at the scene and arrested Joshua Sullivan, finding $775 in his bag and a further $385 on the floor in the area where he had been restrained.
Rhys Sullivan was subsequently located hiding behind an inflatable pool in a nearby garage.
On Wednesday, the court heard Joshua Sullivan was on parole at the time of the offences. Rhys Sullivan had also been subject to an intensive correction order.
Chief Justice Helen Murrell listed both brothers' cases for sentence on August 6, before Justice David Mossop.
