Accused in armed robbery at Vancouver Holt Renfrew has prior convictions

The 66-year-old man accused of holding up a Holt Renfrew in downtown Vancouver this week has prior convictions, including for two other robberies that involved fake guns.

Douglas Ewing made a brief video appearance in Vancouver provincial court on Friday, where a scheduled bail hearing was delayed to next Wednesday.

The senior will remain in custody until that date.

Ewing is accused of robbing the Holt Renfrew on Dunsmuir Street shortly before noon Monday, when a 911 caller reported that someone had walked into the high-end retailer and threatened to shoot staff.

The Vancouver Police Department said officers arrested a suspect outside the store with the help of a witness, and seized multiple weapons, including a gun and two improvised explosive devices.

Ewing is charged with robbery, uttering threats to cause death, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose in connection with the incident.

Court records show the 66-year-old was previously found guilty of two counts of robbery and two counts of using an imitation firearm in connection with a pair of incidents in March 2016.

He was sentenced to more than six years in prison for those crimes, and was given a lifetime firearms ban.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Ben Nesbit