Paul Victor Hofmann pleads guilty to firearms charges over 260 weapon cache seized by police from his Adelaide Hills home

Two years after police seized 260 guns from an Adelaide Hills property, the owner has pleaded guilty – but is not happy about being in the spotlight.

A man who amassed more than 260 guns on his remote property has pleaded guilty to firearms offences – but claims he has been “slandered” during the case.

For the first time, The Advertiser can identify Paul Victor Hofmann after he pleaded guilty, on Monday, to 87 firearms charges.

Until now, Hofmann could not be named in connection with the cache, uncovered in August 2019, due to further allegations of sexual offending – which have now been dropped.

Despite his prior anonymity, Hofmann expressed his displeasure with media coverage of his case as he left the Adelaide Magistrates Court.

He used his mobile phone to film reporters, repeatedly asking: “What’s your name?”

When he did not receive an answer, he told reporters they were “slanderous bastards”.

Hofmann, 53, was initially charged with more than 130 firearms offences following a raid of his property, north of Mount Barker, in September 2020.

Police seized 264 firearms – including an assault rifle – along with thousands of rounds of ammunition, gunpowder and silencers, throwing knives, daggers, bayonets and a crossbow.

They were alerted to the cache by a woman who claimed Hofmann had forced her to perform sex acts against her will, and had filmed them to ensure her ongoing subservience.

While those allegations did not proceed, the number of firearms charges ballooned to 427 – which Hofmann claimed was unfair, given the $10,000 in levies they would attract.

Some of the weapons seized, by SA Police, from Hofmann’s property. Picture: SA Police.

On Monday, prosecutors said they had filed a new set of allegations with the court, totalling 87 charges that represented all of Hofmann’s firearms offending.

Andrew Ey, for Hofmann, said his client has signed a copy of that document confirming he was pleading guilty to all 87 counts.

However, he opposed an application by prosecutors to cancel Hofmann’s bail.

“My client spent the period from his arrest in August 2019 until September 2020 in custody over this matter,” he said.

“He has, therefore, already served some 13 months’ jail.”

Magistrate John Wells said he would not revoke Hofmann’s bail, and remanded him to face the District Court in January.