A man has been charged over an alleged hold up of a service station at Rutherford earlier this month, and an unrelated break and enter at a home in Gillieston Heights last week.

Just after 5am (Wednesday 2 September 2015), a man walked into a service station on the New England Highway and approached the console attendant for cigarettes.

The 23-year-old attendant refused to sell the cigarettes when the young man allegedly failed to provide age identification. The young man then purchased chocolates and again asked the attendant to purchase cigarettes.

When the attendant again refused, the young man allegedly produced what appeared to be a small handgun and pistol-whipped the attendant.

The young man again demanded cigarettes, before picking up a hand-held EFTPOS machine from the counter and again allegedly assaulting the attendant on the side of his head.

The attendant left the counter area and went into a back office. The man allegedly took some chocolates and a drink from the store and was last seen walking west along the New England Highway towards Fourth Avenue.

Between Wednesday 9 September and Friday 11 September 2015, it will be alleged a home on Thomas Street, Gillieston Heights, was broken into, with jewellery and collector coins stolen

No one was at the home at the time of the incident.

Maitland Police were notified of both incidents.

Following investigations related to the second incident at Gillieston Heights, an 18-year-old man was arrested yesterday (Sunday 13 September 2015) at a home in Rutherford.

Further inquiries resulted in the man being charged over the first incident in Rutherford.

He was charged with armed robbery, and break, enter and steal. He has been refused bail, to appear at Maitland Local Court today (Monday 14 September 2015).