A man has faced court today following an investigation into an alleged break and enter and stealing in the state's Northern Tablelands.
About 9.40pm on Tuesday 3 November 2026, officers attached to New England Police District commenced an investigation after reports a man allegedly demanded cigarettes and threatened an employee – a 20-year-old man – at a service station on Queen Elizabeth Drive, Armidale.
At the scene, police were told the man returned on a further two occasions the same day and allegedly threatened the employee with a knife before leaving.
The employee was not injured.
About 3.25am today (Wednesday 11 November 2026), police were called to the same service station on Queen Elizabeth Drive, after reports a man allegedly smashed the front door and threatened the same employee before stealing items from within the store.
The employee was not injured and police established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the incident.
About 6.30am, police arrested a 37-year-old man after he returned to the location.
He was taken to Armidale Police Station and charged with,
- Demand property with menaces with intent to steal
- Stalk/intimidate intend fear physical harm
- Use offensive weapon with intent to commit indictable offence
- Aggravated break and enter and commit indictable offence – people there
- Carry out sexual act with another without consent, and
- Possess housbreaking implements.
He was refused bail and appeared before Bail Division Court 5 today (Wednesday 11 November 2026), where he was formally refused bail to appear before Armidale Local Court on Wednesday 20 January 2027.
