Former boxer Craig Vitale jailed for at least seven years over bottle shop armed robbery

Former heavyweight boxer Craig Vitale will spend at least seven years behind bars over a 2011 armed hold-up of a Melbourne bottle shop he committed with his brother.

The two brothers entered the Kingsville store pointing a double barrel shotgun at a female attendant before firing at the cash register and fleeing with money and alcohol.

The pair went unprosecuted for the robbery for five years before CCTV footage of the incident was circulated in 2016 that led to their capture.

In court today, Justice Michael Croucher said the crime was difficult to understand, considering Vitale’s stance as a boxer.

“It’s hard to comprehend why he would choose to present a gun to rob a woman half his weight and twice his age of a few measly dollars and a couple of slabs of Jim Beam,” he said.

While Vitale’s brother admitted his role in the robbery and implicated Craig, the boxer maintained his innocence – which the jury disagreed with.

In his getaway, 29-year-old Craig also fired another shot through the driver’s window of Noel Kennedy’s car as he was collecting fish and chips for his family.

The pellets tore through Mr Kennedy’s wrist – leaving him with significant injuries.

“At the time, the pain was quite severe and it’s still sort of a work in progress”, Mr Kennedy said outside court today as he was taunted by members of Vitale’s family.

“I’m just happy to move on from this now.”