Career criminal Bradley Jones admits armed robbery at Thirroul Commonwealth Bank

The 42-year-old came to the attention of police in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales on charges ranging from simple driving gaffes to serious examples of assault and robbery.

However, he stepped things up a notch in June this year when he armed himself with a replica gun – only later discovered to be a children’s toy – and held up the Commonwealth Bank at Thirroul.

Court documents said a teller and two customers were inside the bank when Jones walked in on the morning of June 8.

With his face concealed behind a piece of fabric, Jones attracted the trio’s attention before briefly showing them the gun and demanding the employee hand over cash.

The woman told Jones she only had coins, which she then packed into a bag at his direction.

Jones then fled the store. CCTV from the bank showed him get into a Holden Commodore at the rear of the premises and drive away.

The two customers later described the gun as “long and thin and black in colour like an old style revolver”. They said it was “not much bigger than [Jones’] hand” and that “it didn’t look real”.

However, the bank teller said she saw Jones pointing an object through his jacket pocket that she “thought was a gun”, prompting her to comply with his demands.

Police tracked Jones to his home in Bulli and waited outside until he and his partner exited the home. He was arrested at gunpoint. 

Officers discovered bags of coins during a search of the Commodore, which was parked outside the home. They were able to retrieve $913 or the $946 stolen during the robbery. 

They also located a box labelled “Cowboy Peacekeeper”, which included a toy gun, a dark coloured holster and matching sheriff’s badge.

Jones initially denied involvement in the hold-up when interviewed by detectives, claiming he’d been elsewhere that day and named another person as having had possession of the car when the robbery was carried out.

However, police investigations revealed that man was behind bars at the time.

Jones pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery with an offensive weapon in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday.

He will face court again in December for a sentencing date to be fixed.