Vic: Alleged armed robber confesses to undercover cop:court told

AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-2001
Vic: Alleged armed robber confesses to undercover cop:court told

MELBOURNE, Aug 13 AAP - A man accused of attempted murder and more than 60 armed robberies
was arrested after he admitted his role to an undercover agent, a Melbourne court was
told today.

Jason Ghiller, 25, of Hampton Park, is facing 66 charges of armed robbery and one charge
of aggravated burglary after a three-year hold-up spree in south-east Melbourne from 1991
to 1994.

He is also facing three charges of attempted murder after a newsagent was shot in the
back during one hold-up in November 1992 and two police officers were shot at in September
1994.

In a committal hearing before the Melbourne Magistrates Court today, Prosecutor Jeremy
Rapke, QC, detailed 28 armed robberies Ghiller began in December 1991 when he was 15 in
tandem with an older man, whose identity has been suppressed.

In taped conversations with an undercover agent last year, Ghiller revealed details
of the hold-ups but did not remember exactly how many there were, Mr Rapke told the court.

"I couldn't even remember half the shit I've done ... I don't want to either," Ghiller
allegedly told the undercover agent.

Wearing either balaclavas or masks and gloves and carrying old-style revolvers, the
two bandits carried out the robberies in a similar way, Mr Rapke said.

There was "a systematic division of labour" with the older man, who was more aggressive
and threatening, interrogating the manager and demanding money.

Meanwhile, Ghiller "as the follower" would tie up staff and customers and rob them
of cash and valuables.

After the first robbery the pair gave up using rope to tie up their victims as it took too long.

"The use of silver grey tape then became a hallmark of these robberies," Mr Rapke said.

The hearing before Magistrate Peter Couzens continues.

AAP nl/szp/clr/las/br

KEYWORD: GHILLER

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