Baseball Bat Wielding Robber Targets Adult Store
A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to serve close to three years behind bars for the armed robbery of a sex shop in North Wollongong. Nino Radovanovic previously entered a guilty plea for the charge of robbery armed with an offensive weapon following the incident on October 17, 2024.
Details of the Frightening Robbery
Court documents reveal that Radovanovic entered Devil's Paradise around 9:48pm that night. He was wearing a surgical mask and brandishing a baseball bat. The sole employee working was confronted by Radovanovic, who held the bat above his head and demanded, "Open the f---ing till".
He then repeated the command, "Give me the money", before fleeing the scene with $318 in cash as well as the entire cash drawer. Following the robbery, Radovanovic drove to the University of Wollongong's Innovation Campus, where he disposed of the gloves he had worn during the crime.
The Investigation and Sentencing
Police later recovered the discarded gloves. Subsequent DNA testing provided a match to Radovanovic, leading to his arrest on November 9 at a Wollongong residence, where he attempted to hide from authorities behind a bed. It was also noted that Radovanovic had reported to Wollongong Police Station for bail on October 15 while wearing the same hoodie seen during the robbery.
Radovanovic appeared via video link from jail as Judge Christine Mendes delivered the judgement. She noted that the offender was "neither young nor someone with little or no criminal history" and described this as his most serious offence.
Judge Mendes emphasised the severity of the threat, stating, "armed with a baseball bat, which is capable of inflicting serious injury... there was no actual violence but clearly a real threat given the offender held the weapon above his head." She characterised the crime as unsophisticated and opportunistic.
The final sentence handed down was a term of imprisonment of two years and 10 months, with a non-parole period of 17 months.
