A major breakthrough has emerged in one of Victoria’s longest-running cold cases, with a Queensland man facing court over an alleged armed robbery and shooting at Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre more than three decades ago. Former rugby league player Garry Sullivan, 78, appeared before Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday after being extradited from Queensland in connection with the 1994 crime. Police allege Sullivan was responsible for a violent armed robbery at Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s south-east on May 16, 1994.
Investigators claim two Armaguard security officers had just collected weekend takings from a cinema when they were confronted by a masked gunman carrying a handgun and a cardboard box. The offender allegedly ordered the guards to “get down” before opening fire and stealing bags filled with cash. According to Victoria Police, one security guard was shot in the ankle, with the bullet ricocheting and striking the second guard’s shoe.
During the chaos, a 40-year-old bystander from Doveton reportedly chased the fleeing offender but was allegedly shot in the leg, suffering a shattered femur. All three victims survived the attack, though police say the incident left lasting physical and emotional impacts. The case remained unsolved for 32 years before investigators reopened the file earlier this year following new intelligence and advances in forensic testing.
Crime scene exhibits that had been stored for decades were re-examined, while detectives appealed to the public for information. Police said the robbery involved a substantial amount of money and believed someone may have known details about the offender’s sudden access to cash following the crime. Sullivan, a former Australian rugby league representative and member of the nation’s 1970 Rugby League World Cup-winning squad, has been charged with multiple offences including armed robbery, intentionally causing injury, theft, and firearm-related offences.
During Monday’s brief court appearance, he was not required to enter a plea and did not speak. His lawyer told the court Sullivan suffers from several serious health conditions, including coronary artery disease, cancer, coeliac disease, and osteoporosis. Concerns were also raised about his welfare in custody, with claims he had been unable to access suitable gluten-free meals.
The court heard a custody nurse would assess his condition. The arrest has been particularly significant for the family of Armaguard officer Sverre Benjaminsen, one of the guards allegedly injured during the robbery. His son Carl Benjaminsen recently spoke publicly about the impact the incident had on his father throughout the remainder of his life.
The renewed investigation and subsequent arrest have provided hope that long-awaited answers may finally emerge. Sullivan did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody. He is scheduled to reappear via video link in Melbourne Magistrates Court on October 13 while prosecutors continue preparing evidence, including transcripts of alleged surveillance recordings gathered during the investigation.
