A 78-year-old man has been charged over a brazen armed robbery at a Melbourne shopping centre more than three decades ago, with police crediting new forensic evidence for the breakthrough in the cold case.
Incident Description
On a Monday morning in May 1994, a man allegedly robbed two Armaguard security officers at Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne. The officers were collecting money from the centre's cinema when the man—wearing a balaclava and carrying a handgun and a cardboard box—ordered them to get down and shot at them.
One officer, aged 61 from North Melbourne, and another, aged 54 from Sandringham, were injured. A 40-year-old Doveton man who followed the alleged robber was also shot in the leg. The suspect escaped with bags of cash.
Arrest and Charges
Victoria Police reopened the cold case earlier this month after new intelligence and fresh forensic testing. On the day of the report, police from the Gold Coast Major Organised Crime Squad searched two addresses in Southport, Queensland, and arrested 78-year-old Garry Sullivan.
He has been charged with armed robbery, intentionally causing serious injury, reckless conduct endangering life, and carrying a firearm without a certificate.
Court Appearance
Sullivan appeared in Southport Magistrates Court today and is set to be released into the custody of Victoria Police tomorrow.