Gregory Currell, 62, faced the County Court via video link on Thursday on one charge of armed robbery related to the incident earlier this year.

At 10.47am on January 25, Currell entered the Sebastopol Subway store and asked staff for money, waving a 25cm fishing knife in their faces.

Staff complied, Currell thanked them, and he fled across Albert Street.

About a week later, Currell phoned Ballarat police and said he'd committed an armed robbery - when officers attended his home, he invited them in and showed them the clothes he was wearing, which matched CCTV footage, and the $160 he had stolen.

In a police interview after his arrest he said the reason for his offending was "stupidity".

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Daniel Holding detailed the impact on the Subway staff.

"[She] felt you would hurt her if she did not comply," Judge Holding said.

"Both statements from the victims describe how an incident of relatively short duration can cause psychological impacts on people."

The court heard one victim felt the incident had changed part of her forever, impacting her relationship with her children and enjoyment of family holidays.

"When her husband approaches her from behind and puts his arms around her, she feels tense," the judge said.

"She used to enjoy her work.

"She is always looking at customers' hands and is suspicious of elderly gentlemen."

The other victim told the court in her impact statement she used to be, "happy, funny, loving, trusting and full of life" and had to take medication to cope.

"[She suffers] severe anxiety and PTSD, and sees a psychologist to regain some normality she had before," Judge Holding said.

"She has reduced the hours she works, she also finds it difficult to serve older men.

"She feels that a previous version of herself is gone forever."

IN THE NEWS:

The court heard Currell had a 14-page criminal history spanning years 1978 to 2015 across a range of charges including burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of stolen goods, and assault that had been dealt with by "relatively" short periods of jail time, community corrections orders and suspended sentences.

Judge Holding said Currell's most serious prior conviction was in 2013 when he was sentenced to two years and 10 months for an armed robbery in Reservoir after he confronted a man who was walking his dog in with a knife.

The judge said there were similarities in the 2013 offending to the current matter in that both happened while Currell was grieving the loss of a family member.

Two months before the Subway robbery Currell's brother died.

"I was told by your council when grieving your brother you consumed methamphetamine and benzodiazepines," Judge Holding said.

"Drug abuse presents as his main offending risk factor."

The court heard Currell's long standing battle with drugs started when he began smoking cannabis at 14, moving to methamphetamine at 15 and heroin at 16.

It was noted Currell had significant medical issues that required a high level of support including suffering emphysema and osteomyelitis.

The charge of armed robbery carries a maximum penalty of 25 years' imprisonment.

Judge Holding said that Currell handed himself into police showed he was genuinely remorseful, and the gap in offending since 2015 showed his drug use was diminishing as he got older.

The judge said he rejected defence submissions that Currell's IQ of 73 should lessen his moral culpability for the offending.

"I am of the view you have a history, you are aware of your proclivity to commit serious crimes on [drugs]," he said.

"It was akin to the offending you have committed previously.

"You were able to plan this crime enough to arm yourself."

Currell was sentenced to 18 months' jail time with 192 days time already served.

His time in prison will be followed by a two-year community corrections order.

Judge Holding told Currell if he had not pleaded guilty he would have received a prison term of four years and four months with a three month non parole period.

In the final minutes of the sentencing, Currell, who appeared via video link, called out to the court: "I'm sorry for what I put the people through".

Now just one tap with our new app. Digital subscribers now have the convenience of faster news, right at your fingertips with The Courier. See how to download it below: