Adrian Frost, 31, who was on parole for armed robbery at the time of his hold-up spree, would use other people to gain access to the locked service stations late at night before he emerged from the shadows and raced inside.

Armed with a knife and with a balaclava covering his face, Frost targeted service stations at Cardiff, Edgeworth, Redhead and Warners Bay between June 10 and July 31 last year, making off with cash and cigarettes.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of armed robbery and being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence and in Newcastle District Court was jailed for a maximum of seven-and-a-half years, with a non-parole period of four years.

"Each of the attendants who were challenged must have found that a very frightening event in their lives," Acting Judge Stephen Walmsley said.

With time already served Frost will be eligible for parole in September 2025.

The spate of robberies started on June 10 last year when Frost was dropped off near the 7-Eleven service station at Cardiff about 3am.

The car Frost was in then pulled into the service station and filled up with fuel before two women were buzzed into the store by the attendant.

A short time later, when the women approached the exit to the service station, Frost ran inside carrying a large kitchen knife.

He demanded money and cigarettes and then fled on foot, a CCTV camera capturing him being picked up in the same car a short distance away.

Two days later Frost stormed into a service station at Edgeworth and again demanded cash and cigarettes. This time he used a knife to smash a perspex screen on the counter and feigned throwing the blade at the attendant.

He fled with about $500 and 20 packets of cigarettes.

On June 29, Frost targeted the Cardiff service station again, but this time, despite trying to use another man to gain access, he was unsuccessful and fled on foot.

On July 9, Frost went into a service station at Redhead and threatened the attendant as she was preparing to close for the day.

He got away with about $1000 in cash and $900 worth of cigarettes.

The last armed robbery he committed was on July 31 when he held up a service station at Warners Bay.

"Give me all the money, hurry up," Frost barked, before pulling down a petition on the counter and lunging at the attendant with a knife.

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