Career criminal 'Badness' confesses to unsolved robberies after converting to Islam
Melbourne career criminal Christopher "Badness" Binse has confessed to seven armed robberies after he converted to Islam while in jail and “found empathy” for his victims.
The 48-year-old, who now goes by the surname Pecotic, said he wants to "square the ledger" and apologise to victims of a string of armed hold-ups in the 1980s and ‘90s.
The convicted armed robber decided to confess after his religious conversion in prison, his lawyer Michael FitzGerald said.
CCTV from one of the armed robberies. Source: 7 News
Christopher 'Badness' Bnse now goes by the surname Pecotic. Source: 7 News
"His conversion to the Islamic faith was the catalyst," the lawyer told a plea hearing on Monday.
Pecotic is serving at least 14 years and two months in jail for armed robbery and shooting at police during a 44-hour siege in Melbourne in 2012, after a colourful criminal career.
He has been out of custody for just four years since the age of 13 and has been convicted of armed robbery seven times.
Pecotic has almost 100 convictions. Source: 7 News
But Pecotic has told authorities he doesn't want other people to make the same mistakes he made, and wants to prevent others from becoming institutionalised like he was.
Pecotic’s lawyer said his client was “schooled” by older criminals who “corrupted” him.
"I learned a lot of bad things ... I looked up to armed robbers, and when I got out I did exactly what I heard from them," Pecotic told police in 2016.
The career criminal has confessed to seven armed robberies. Source: 7 News
Pecotic wrote to police to confess his involvement in seven heists, committed between 1988 and 1991, which netted him $400,000.
In that time, he robbed banks, a sports store, and a Target store where a bullet went through an employee's shirt but caused no injuries.
"This is a prosecution that would not have occurred but for his voluntary admission," Dr FitzGerald said.
CCTV from an armed robbery. Source: 7 News
The lawyer said his client's own experience of post-traumatic stress disorder had given him insight into the trauma he had caused the people he held up.
"He's had nothing to gain from this confession," Dr FitzGerald said.
"He apologises to his victims and police for the trouble causes by his offences."
Career criminal Christopher 'Badness' Binse. Source: 7 News
He's also tried to escape from custody six times, succeeded twice, and had 96 convictions by the time he was 24.
Pecotic will be back in court in March.
