The County Court at Ballarat on Tuesday heard Craig Kemp, 42, and Brendan Collins, 21, both of Ballarat, had earlier cased the Priceline Pharmacy about 6pm on December 1 last year, moving their car to the back of the store before returning about 6.30pm to rob the business.

Crown prosecutor Pat Bourke told the court Kemp, armed with a knife, became angry with the young employee after she couldn’t open the cash register.

“He became frustrated with the delay and said to her  “... it shouldn’t be taking this long, get it open’,” Mr Bourke told the court.

“Once the register was opened, the accused leaned forward and scooped up handfuls of notes from the till and ran from the building with Collins.

“Before leaving the store, he turned to the victim and said, ‘Nice doing business with you’.”

The court was told the men fled the scene in a green Subaru station wagon and continued to break in and rob several more Ballarat businesses.

The prosecutor said they broke into Ivy Hair in Doveton Street North, stealing $350 worth of hair products before breaking into the Glos Nailbar in Pleasant Street South and stealing the till containing about $400.

Continuing the brazen crime spree, the court heard the men also attempted to break into a Macarthur Street business before attending a BWS liquor store in Wendouree and stealing two slabs of mixed drinks.

Kemp and Collins on Tuesday pleaded guilty to charges including armed robbery, burglary, theft and attempted burglary.

Kemp also pleaded guilty to reckless conduct endangering a person and dangerous driving while being pursued by police, relating to a police chase on December 2 in which he sped away from a breath testing site before crashing into a fence in Wendouree. 

The pair is expected to be sentenced by County Court judge Bill Stuart on Wednesday.