Pharmacy robbery 'out of character'

A judge has found a man acted out of character when he held up a Brisbane pharmacy armed with a knife last year.

Jamie Patrick Raines pleaded guilty to armed robbery and four other charges relating to fraud and forgery in the Brisbane District Court this morning, after spending close to six months in remanded custody.

The court heard Raines, 41, described as "normally loving, caring and hard working" by his references, had suffered a marriage break down prior to the events for which he had been charged on December 4 and 5, after one of his two young children became seriously ill.

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Stressed and having suffered health problems of his own, Raines, who worked as a patient care assistant at Greenslopes Private Hospital, was said to have taken a prescription pad and fraudulently used it to acquire the pain killing drug Endone.

A pharmacist at the Village Discount Pharmacy in Upper Mount Gravatt queried the prescription with a doctor at the Greenslopes Hospital and Raines received a phone call from the hospital concerning the matter.

The court heard Raines, who had already lost his marriage and the family home, perceived he was also about to lose his job and made a snap decision to rob the pharmacy.

In what Raine's defence barrister Ruth O'Gorman said was a poorly thought out crime, Raines entered the Village Discount Pharmacy, threatened staff with a knife and stole medication and $900 from the chemist cash register.

He then took the store cordless phone so staff could not call police and fled.

Raines was found by police officers the following day in Victoria with $600 in his wallet, which Ms O'Gorman said he had intended to use as child support.

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Pharmacy robbery 'out of character'