17 Aug 2017

Man jailed for robbing pubs, shooting two women

9:20 pm on 17 August 2017

A man who shot a mother and daughter in Rolleston, near Christchurch, in April this year has been sentenced to at least six and a half years in prison.

Labourer Douglas Anderson Roake, 23, was arrested in April after shooting the two women and robbing the Ashburton Hotel.

It was later revealed in court that Roake had robbed several other bars at gunpoint in Canterbury this year including the Brickworks Bar, which he hit twice, the Springston Hotel and Trevinos Bar and Restaurant.

He pleaded guilty to six charges of aggravated robbery, as well as two of wounding with intent to injure and two charges of presenting a firearm.

Roake was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court today to 13 years and eight months in jail, with a minimum non-parole period of six and a half years.

The court heard he was a high school thespian, and had a loving family.

However, on 10 March, Roake began a month of violent robberies around Christchurch - taking about $155,000 - and culminating in the shooting of the two women.

Defence lawyer Jonathan Eaton told the court the defendant had not been eating or sleeping properly in the months prior to the robberies.

He said Roake had been intensely body building and taking testosterone supplements.

Roake tried to get help, Mr Eaton said.

"It does seem that Mr Roake himself recognised he was losing a sense of control.

"In March he visited the family GP and explained he wasn't sleeping, he wasn't eating," he said.

On 19 April, he entered the Dawson family home in Rolleston, demanding cash and the keys to Michaela Dawson's car.

She had met Roake before, through her ex-husband.

When she fought back, Roake shot her in the leg, as well as attacking her mother, 53-year-old Nicola Dawson, whom he shot in the torso.

Michaela Dawson's four-month-year-old baby was in an adjacent room.

She told the court today that she was still haunted by the memory of Roake chasing her around the kitchen with a gun and a mallet.

Roake was arrested the following day, after robbing yet another bar, this time the Ashburton Hotel.

Judge Jane Farish said Roake's actions were completely irrational and caused terrible harm to his victims.

"Everyone has been baffled and casting about to try and find a rational explanation ... your offending was completely unforeseen, and totally out of character," she said.

Judge Farish said Roake had shown remorse, and regretted his actions.

"You have come [to] your senses since you have been in jail, you've realised that you are deserving of a strong punishment," she said.

One of Roake's victims, James Moore, who was a waiter, said his sentence was not long enough.