Dumb and dumber armed robber who held up two taxi drivers is jailed after failing to cover up prominent neck tattoo of his NAME while pulling a knife on his victims

An armed robber whose name is conspicuously tattooed across the front of his neck has been jailed for crimes against two taxi drivers in the NSW Riverina.

Alex Steven Bartholomew pleaded guilty to robbing Danny Kelly of $245 cash on September 7, 2020 and Thomas Pearce of $220 two days later, while armed with a knife at Kooringal.

'The offender has a distinctive tattoo across the front of his neck displaying his name 'Bartholomew',' Judge Gordon Lerve noted on Friday.

Alex Steven Bartholomew pleaded guilty to robbing taxi drivers Danny Kelly and Thomas Pearce in early September 2020 (stock image)

Just five days before he held up the first cabbie, the now 24-year-old was released on parole from an armed robbery sentence but had little assistance and was effectively homeless.

The judge jailed him in the Wagga Wagga District Court for five years and three months with a non-parole period of three years and four months.

Bartholomew produced the knife in both robberies, holding the weapon towards the abdomen of his second victim and threatening to stab him.

The thief held up two taxi drivers while displaying his distinctive neck tattoo of his last name 

Noting both victims were vulnerable taxi drivers, the judge said while there was no actual violence there was a very real threat of it with the production of the knife.

He accepted Bartholomew was remorseful, but could not find he has good prospects of rehabilitation.