Adelaide Hills collector Paul Victor Hofmann spared jail over massive 264-weapon arsenal but receives lifetime gun ban

A lifelong collector who illegally stored his 264-weapon arsenal has received perhaps the worst punishment he could imagine from a court.

For five decades, guns have been at the centre of Paul Victor Hofmann’s life.

He fired his first weapon aged six, joined a firearms association at 12 and studied mechanical engineering for years to one day become a gunsmith.

Unknown to his Adelaide Hills neighbours, who valued his skills as a fitter and turner, Hofmann had even turned his 25-acre property into an armoury.

In his shed, he had the parts and machinery to manufacture weapons including submachine guns, and a fridge containing 21.8kg of ammunition powder.

Throughout his house, including secret rooms hidden behind bookcases, he had stored 264 handguns, shotguns and rifles, along with 56,000 bullets and shells.

Topped off with daggers, bayonets and even Zulu spears, Hofmann’s collection was one of a kind – and all of it was being stored contrary to South Australia’s gun laws.

Hofmann told the court he was a collector who failed to legitimise his haul through laziness. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

Some of the rifles seized from Hofmann’s Adelaide Hills property. Picture: SA Police

On Friday, the District Court jailed Hofmann for three years and two months, but suspended that term on condition of a three-year, $5000 good-behaviour bond.

The cache included bullets, and submachine guns. Picture: SA Police

Judge Jo-Anne Deuter also imposed a Firearms Prohibition Order, banning Hofmann from ever again owning a gun, part of a gun or machinery needed to create one.

In sentencing, she said Hofmann’s gunsmithing dreams had no connection whatsoever to criminal activity – but his arsenal still posed a danger to the community.

“It’s those who actually use firearms, usually after stealing them, who cause great damage to the community,” she said.

“Your firearms, if stolen, were untraceable … it’s interesting to note that your property was looted after your arrest.

“You counsel submitted your offending arose out of ‘laziness’, that you got carried away and perhaps desensitised by the amount of guns around you. That’s really not a good excuse.”

Paul Victor Hofmann outside the Adelaide Magistrates Court after pleaded guilty the to firearms cache. Picture: Sean Fewster

Hofmann, 56, was initially charged with 427 firearms offences following a raid of his property, north of Mount Barker, in September 2019.

In November, he pleaded guilty to 87 firearms offences after successfully arguing the original allegations were unfair, given the $10,000 in levies they would attract.

On Friday, Judge Deuter said Hofmann had been a responsible gun owner in the past, with 30 licensed weapons properly registered and stored.

She said the rest of his arsenal was of a type and amount that, under law, required storage in a CCTV-monitored, windowless concrete room with a door made of a single sheet of steel.

“There’s no doubt your offending is extremely serious,” she said.

She said Hofmann’s prior good character, guilty plea and 13 months in custody following his arrest warranted his suspended sentence.