Robber's sentence should be cut: lawyer

A would-be armed robber's sentence should be reduced because he didn't fire or aim a gun at police while fleeing, a Sydney court has been told.

Junior Niuqila, the son of former Wallabies player Acura Niuqila, pleaded guilty on September 8 to conspiring to commit robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon, a break and enter at Hunters Hill and possessing a prohibited firearm.

He and three other men were charged after police rammed a $100,000 Audi on the grounds of the University of NSW at Kensington, following a pursuit through the city's eastern suburbs in October 2012.

The four men had planned to take money from security guards as they delivered it to refill ATMs.

But the offence was never completed and Niuqila never threatened anyone with a gun, his lawyer Nathan Steel told the Sydney District Court.

"No victims were, in fact, placed in fear of violence or harm," he said on Friday.

"All the firearms were discarded and no attempt was made to use them."

Mr Steel said Niuqila had reasonable prospects of rehabilitation and was the first of the men to enter a plea, while conceding it was still late, and asked the court to discount his sentence by 15 per cent.

Crown lawyer Ken McKay argued Niuqila was "one of the promoters of the conspiracy" but deserved a 10 per cent reduction.

"That's not a mitigating factor," he said of the non-use of the guns.

"The very nature of the conspiracy was to use a dangerous weapon."

The sentence hearing continues.