A MEDOWIE man and his 14-year-old son are accused of working together to hold up three service stations and break into at least two bottle shops during an alleged two-month crime spree across the Hunter.
The man, 36, and the boy were arrested at their home about 7am on Tuesday by Strike Force Nyrang detectives investigating robberies at service stations at Sandgate, Williamtown and Wallsend and the attempted break and enter of two bottle shops at Medowie and Elermore Vale during May and June this year.
The boy had initially been arrested last week and charged over an armed robbery at a service station in Newcastle Road at Wallsend on June 1.
He was granted conditional bail, but after being re-arrested on Tuesday the boy was charged with a string of additional offences, including three counts of armed robbery, three counts of aggravated break and enter and attempted aggravated break and enter.
The boy appeared in Broadmeadow Children's Court on Wednesday where the prosecution applied for a detention application due to alleged fresh offending and his bail was revoked.
Magistrate Ellen Skinner ordered a bail supervision assessment report and adjourned the matter until August 10.
The 36-year-old man appeared in Raymond Terrace Local Court on Wednesday charged with two counts of armed robbery, two counts of aggravated break and enter and attempted aggravated break and enter.
He did not enter any pleas or apply for bail and the matter was adjourned until September 21.
Strike Force Nyrang was established by the State Crime Command's Robbery and Serious Crime Squad to investigate the series of service station robberies and bottle shop break-ins between May and June.
Two men, armed with a samurai sword and a baseball bat, stormed the Metro service station at Sandgate on May 22 and demanded money.
Four days later two men, also armed with a sword and baseball bat, held up the Metro service station at Williamtown.
Both robberies were in the early hours of the morning when the stores were quiet.
The third robbery occurred at a service station at Wallsend on June 1.
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