It was one of the most terrifying moments of Wayne Hackett’s life.
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Mr Hackett was going through his daily routine at his newsagency at Thornton when a masked intruder burst into the store wielding a 60cm long machete and screaming for him to hand over cash and cigarettes.
The Railway Avenue store’s CCTV cameras picked up the man running up to the shop before barging in about 5.40am yesterday.
Mr Hackett, who has owned and run the store for 19 years, said the ordeal went by in a flash.
“A bloke has burst in, screaming and bellowing ‘put the effing money in the bag’ and carrying on,” he said.
“He had a machete – it wasn’t a small one either.
“My daughter got robbed working here about six years ago, but we’ve had nothing like this before.”
Mr Hackett said he too had been through the trauma of being a victim of armed robbery but that it could have been worse.
“I think I’m OK, I’ll know tomorrow morning,” he said.
“I got robbed years and years ago and I was looking over my shoulder for months.
“I’m still shaken up a bit, especially when you stop and think what could have happened.”
Mr Hackett said he hoped police could find the offender.
“I was cornered so there was nowhere I could go; if I had my baseball bat handy maybe I could have done something,” he said.
“I’m a bit crook in the guts about it, to be truthful.”
Central Hunter police duty officer Inspector Brian Tracey said armed robbery was always a matter police took seriously and encouraged anyone with information to come forward.
The man was wearing a black balaclava, black hooded top, black track pants with a white stripe, and white shoes with black stripes.
Police said the he was about 176cm tall, ran with a limp in his right leg and was last seen in Rockleigh Street.
Anyone with information should call Maitland police on 4934 0200 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.