Ex-rugby star Garry Sullivan charged in 1994 Chadstone armed robbery and shootings
Consensus Summary
A 78-year-old former rugby league player, Garry Leslie Sullivan, was charged in June 2026 with nine offences, including armed robbery and intentionally causing injury, for his alleged role in a violent 1994 heist at Melbourneās Chadstone Shopping Centre. The case was reopened after Victoria Police received new intelligence and forensic evidence. On May 16, 1994, Sullivan allegedly confronted two Armaguard employees collecting cinema takings, shooting one in the leg and causing a ricochet bullet to hit the otherās shoe. A bystander was also shot in the leg after pursuing the robber, who escaped with cash-filled bags and dropped a box containing money, a firearm, and other items. Sullivan was arrested in Queensland in late May 2026 and extradited to Melbourne, where he appeared in court on June 1, 2026. His health issues, including coeliac disease and cancer, were raised during the hearing, and he was remanded in custody until October 13, 2026. The case hinges on recordings and intercepts, with prosecutors requesting additional time to prepare their evidence.
ā Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Garry Leslie Sullivan, 78, was charged with nine offences including armed robbery, intentionally causing injury, and theft related to the 1994 Armaguard heist at Chadstone Shopping Centre.
- The alleged robbery occurred on May 16, 1994, at Chadstone Shopping Centre in Malvern East, Melbourne, where two Armaguard employees were confronted by a man wearing a fawn balaclava and carrying a handgun.
- One Armaguard employee was allegedly shot in the leg, with the bullet ricocheting into the shoe of the other guard, and a 40-year-old bystander was also allegedly shot in the leg after pursuing the robber.
- The offender allegedly escaped with two bags containing a significant amount of cash, dropped a cardboard box containing one bag of cash, one of the Armaguard employeesā firearm, and other items at the scene.
- Victoria Police reopened the cold-case investigation on May 17, 2025, due to 'new intelligence' and fresh forensic testing of crime scene evidence.
- Sullivan was extradited from Southport, Gold Coast, Queensland, and appeared in Melbourne Magistratesā Court on June 1, 2026.
- Sullivan was remanded into custody and will return to court on October 13, 2026.
- Sullivan was arrested by Queensland Police on May 28, 2026, after searches at two Gold Coast addresses.
- Sullivan was a former Newtown rugby league player and part of Australiaās 1970 World Cup-winning squad.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Prosecutors requested a three-month preparation period to transcribe recordings from a listening device and telephone intercepts.
- Sullivanās lawyer raised health issues including cancer diagnosis, coronary artery disease, osteoporosis, and coeliac disease, noting he 'hasnāt eaten in a number of days' due to lack of gluten-free food in custody.
- Sullivan was wearing a black long-sleeve T-shirt and sporting a grey beard during his court appearance.
- Detective Inspector Adam Tilley revealed during a press conference that the offender ordered the guards to 'get down, drop the money' and shot one guard in the right ankle, with the bullet ricocheting into the other guard's shoe.
- The 40-year-old Doveton man who pursued the robber had his femur shattered by the gunshot.
- Carl Benjaminsen, the son of the deceased Armaguard employee Sverre Benjaminsen, stated the family wanted 'finally see justice done'.
- The Armaguard officers injured were a 61-year-old North Melbourne man and a 54-year-old Sandringham man.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- Article 3 (ABC) states Sullivan was charged with 'reckless conduct endangering life' and 'carrying a gun without a certificate,' but Articles 1 and 2 (ABC and NEWSCOMAU) do not mention these specific charges.
Source Articles
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A rugby league World Cup hero, accused of carrying out an Armaguard robbery decades ago, is facing significant health issues, a court has been told.
Chadstone cold case accused faces court after 30 years
A 78-year-old man accused of shooting three people in an Armaguard robbery at a busy cinema in 1994 faces court.
Man arrested over alleged 1994 armed robbery at Melbourne shopping centre
A man who allegedly carried out an armed robbery and shot three men at Chadstone Shopping Centre in 1994 has been arrested by police in Queensland.