A Berkeley man has confessed to robbing his secret ex-lover at knifepoint so he could buy drugs.
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Documents tendered to Wollongong Local Court said Lachlan Mitchell, 20, first met the victim in 2017 through a mutual friend and the pair soon became an item, but kept their relationship a secret, despite briefly moving in together.
The victim told police he and Mitchell occasionally used methamphetamine in the past and he gave Mitchell money at times during their relationship for daily living expenses, as well as to buy drugs.
The court heard Mitchell attended his ex-boyfriend's home at 3am on November 30 last year asking him for money.
He said "there are people after me" but the victim refused to hand over any cash, saying "I can't give you any more money because you already owe me a lot".
The victim agreed to drive Mitchell to Wollongong, however continued to refuse his demands for cash.
The court heard the victim feared for his safety during the drive, so activated his in-car camera that had both audio and visual recording.
He reminded Mitchell that the cameras were switched on and working, however Mitchell kept asking the man for money, initially requesting $250, then lowering his price to $100.
At one stage during the trip Mitchell grabbed at the camera and tried to rip it out but the victim managed to stop him.
Police said the video showed Mitchell asking for money at 3.33am, 3.34am, 3.35am and 3.36am.
When it became apparent the victim still wouldn't hand over his money, Mitchell pulled out a large knife and threatened his ex-boyfriend.
"Give me $100 or you are going to get this through your neck right now," Mitchell said.
"I'm gonna stab ya, just give me $100."
The victim, although scared, again refused to give Mitchell any cash.
Mitchell continued his demands, saying "lend me money, it's $100. You're going to treat me like an idiot are you?
The victim eventually relented out of fear and gave Mitchell two $50 notes.
Mitchell grabbed the cash and ordered the victim to stop the car.
"I'm not going to do nothing to ya and will get out of the car if you don't call the coppers," Mitchell said as he left the vehicle.
The victim told police he was relieved he didn't get hurt but couldn't stop himself from reminding Mitchell of the cameras, yelling "that was all being recorded" as Mitchell departed the scene.
He drove home and reported the matter to police later that morning.
Mitchell was arrested later that night and agreed to a police interview after telling them "I want to see what you (sic) got on me".
He told police he'd produced the knife out of anger but never intended to hurt the victim.
Mitchell was charged with robbery while armed with an offensive weapon, to which he pleaded guilty in court last week.
He will face Wollongong District Court for sentencing at a later date.
