Former Army private Sarah Royna found guilty of plot to rob RSL
Updated
Sarah Royna's dramatic sprint into Penrith District court was her last dash before her sentence is handed down, after a judge found her guilty of a second robbery plot.
Disguised in a beanie and brown wig, the former Army private crashed into a cameraman on her way into court for the verdict on allegations she plotted to rob an RSL just a week after robbing a military bank.
The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to armed robbery after she held up the Australian Defence Credit Union on Richmond's military base with a replica pistol and balaclava at 3:30pm on February 7, 2014.
After robbing the credit union, Royna and her co-accused Tayla Stahl-Smith made off with $2,685 in a getaway vehicle while the base went into lockdown.
In a judge-only trial, Judge Stephen Hanley found Royna guilty of a second charge of conspiring to rob Windsor RSL with her co-accused, a charge Royna had denied.
Judge Hanley referenced text messages between the pair as evidence of the plot, and the fact they had purchased two knives and clothing to carry out a second robbery shortly after completing the first.
"I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt there was an agreement to rob Windsor RSL with a dangerous weapon," Judge Hanley said.
"The plan to carry out the Windsor RSL [robbery] falls within commission of offence even though it was not carried out."
The text exchange presented at trial between the two women showed Royna telling her co-accused she had an idea.
"It's my best yet," Royna texted.
"It's almost as easy as the last one."
Judge Hanley told the court he believed that was "clearly" a reference to the credit union robbery and that a custodial sentence was "inevitable".
Stahl-Smith is currently serving a suspended sentence for her role in the first robbery.
Richmond RAAF base is one of Australia's largest military bases and home to the country's C-130 Hercules fleet, as well as a major logistics hub for the Australian Defence Force.
Royna was refused bail and will be sentenced on October 2.
Topics: courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, sydney-2000
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