Detectives have released CCTV vision are appealing for public information after an employee was stabbed during an armed robbery at a service station in the state's Hunter Region earlier this month.
About 5.15am on Thursday 20 January 2022, three males – one armed with a knife – entered a service station at Swan Street, Morpeth, and stole cash from the register.
The attendant – a 47-year-old man – confronted the group, before he was punched in the face and stabbed in the abdomen.
The group then fled the scene in a stolen white Subaru Liberty.
Officers attached to Port-Stephens Hunter Police District attended and established a crime scene.
The employee was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics, before being taken to John Hunter Hospital. He has since been released.
About 2.40am the following morning (Friday 21 January 2022), officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District were notified of a group of males in the Edgeworth area attempting to break into parked cars.
Police attended and sighted the stolen white Subaru Liberty travelling eastbound at Northville Drive.
The driver failed to stop as directed and a pursuit of the vehicle was initiated, travelling through Speers Point, Boolaroo and Toronto, before being terminated due to the manner of driving.
About 5am, the Subaru was located abandoned at Olney Street, Awaba. Inquiries identified that the vehicle was stolen from a property at Cameron Park on Wednesday 19 January 2022.
In a subsequent search of the vehicle, police located a knife. The Subaru and knife were seized for further forensic examination.
Local police conducted initial inquiries into the incidents, before detectives from the State Crime Command's Robbery and Serious Crime Squad took carriage of the investigations under Strike Force Conge.
The two incidents – the armed robbery at Morpeth and the pursuit at Edgeworth – are being treated as linked.
As inquiries continue, detectives have released CCTV vision of three males at Morpeth who may be able to assist with ongoing investigations.
One male is depicted in the CCTV as wearing a beige hooded-jumper, maroon pants, black shoes and a red cap.
The second male is depicted wearing a navy long-sleeved shirt with a white and red print on the front, navy pants, a navy cap and blue running shoes.
The third male is depicted wearing jean shorts, a grey hooded-jumper and white shoes.
Detectives have also released dashcam vision from a vehicle parked in vicinity of the police pursuit at Edgeworth, that depicts four males walking past.
Police are urging anyone with information about the identity of the males to come forward immediately.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
