A man has been found guilty on all three counts of breaking into two businesses and committing an armed robbery at a hotel in 2019 while wearing a mask and cape.
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A jury retired about 12.40pm on Friday and returned at 3.20pm finding Paul William Mooney, formerly of Byng Street, guilty of break and enters at the Orange Ex-Services' Country Club, Ashcroft's Supa IGA, and for committing a robbery at the Victoria Hotel while armed with a knife and a firearm or imitation firearm.
In each offence Mooney was captured on CCTV targeting ATMs and they failed in all three offences.
However, a cleaner at the hotel, who was threatened with a knife and a firearm and had his hands and legs bound, handed over about $300 in cash on July 20, 2019.
Orange District Court Judge Graham Turnbull and defence barrister Philip Swaine reminded the jury before it retired that Mooney was presumed innocent unless they could determine "beyond all reasonable doubt" that he was the person who committed the offences.
Earlier in the trial, the jury heard that Mooney discussed the three offences with an acquaintance telling them details before police issued media releases.
VIDEO: CCTV footage of the caped offender...
In a later discussion after CCTV footage was publicly released he said media descriptions of a "caped crusader" were wrong and the costume was meant to be Zorro.
However, the acquaintance would not give a statement about the conversations and Mr Swaine said that in Mooney's words he was telling a "bullshit story" to make him look like a "smart criminal".
The jury had also heard that Mooney had a distinctive gait as a result of a sports injury but there was no evidence about how his gait manifested itself.
A former partner of Mooney's made a statement saying she saw him with three firearms in 2010 including a .22, a .222 and a "WWII type weapon". Mr Mooney handed the .22 and .222 into police in 2018.
However, Mr Swaine said the woman had been in a custody dispute with Mooney and suggested she was mistaken about the third gun.
Mr Swaine said a BRNO .22 had been handed down to Mr Mooney by his grandfather and it "it beggars belief" that Mooney would hand in a weapon with sentimental value but retain a third gun.
He said a statement by the hotel cleaner that the robber at the hotel mentioned a family court matter was made late in the proceedings and since the cleaner knew the woman's father he could have been mistaken about the conversation.
He also emphasized that Mooney denied involvement in the offences 12 times during a recorded interview with police and had no previous convictions for break and enter or robbery.
Mooney will be sentenced in July.
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