Hotel robber was just a gofer: court

A man involved in a string of Sydney armed robberies, including one in when a gun was pointed at nightclub mogul Justin Hemmes, was treated as an errand boy by his mates, a court has heard.

Laurence Glover, 26, was last year found guilty along with two other men of heists targeted at bars and pubs including the Hemmes-owned Excelsior Hotel.

Mr Hemmes testified he was in the bathroom of the Excelsior Hotel in June 2011 when he received a call telling him his pub was being robbed.

As he stepped out to investigate, he said a man in a balaclava pointed a gun at him and told him not to move.

During sentencing submissions at the Downing Centre District Court on Friday, barrister Michael Pickin told the court Glover was never "the architect of this enterprise".

The 26-year-old had a "deprived childhood", brought up in the inner-west suburb of Marrickville by a single mother, who sat in the public gallery on Friday and had limited contact with his father.

Mr Pickin said he had also fallen in with a group of friends who, phone taps reveal, ordered him around and on one occasion told him to pick up some milk.

"He appears to have been a bit of a gofer," Mr Pickin said.

"If my client had effectively been left to his own devices, knowing what we know about his background, knowing what we know about his (family), the telephone intercepts et cetera, it's probable that he would not have committed crimes of this gravity."

Glover's sentencing hearing has been adjourned until Monday.