Jesse Brooks jailed over firearm, theft, possession crimes across Geelong, Melbourne
A court has heard of a series of armed thefts by a Geelong crook who, on one occasion, forced a driver out of a car with a loaded handgun equipped with a silencer.
A Geelong crook forced a driver out of a car with a loaded handgun equipped with a silencer, amid a series of armed thefts.
Jesse Brooks, 29, appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Wednesday pleading guilty to a string of firearm, theft and drug possession offences after a prolific crime spree spanning more than 12 months.
His most serious offending involved weapons and going equipped to steal, with the court hearing of a bizarre motor vehicle theft in a Hoppers Crossing car park.
The accused was witnessed arriving at the Tigers Clubhouse on Old Geelong Rd with two co-accused on September 19, travelling in a Holden without plates.
Wearing black gloves, Brooks loitered around the carpark before approaching a white Mazda that had parked with one of his co-accused.
The court heard he was “holding a black handgun” with a longer than usual barrel that “appeared like a silencer”.
The pair left in the Mazda, with a witness reporting the incident to police.
The police air wing was called after the cars were spotted at a 7-Eleven, with the court hearing at about 3.08pm, a passenger was captured in Lara on aerial footage “throwing a firearm out of the window” onto a footpath.
It was later found to be the same gun the witness saw Brooks carrying at the Tigers Clubhouse, with forensic testing revealing it was loaded with a single bullet.
The court heard multiple police units swooped near the Lara Woolworths where Brooks was detained.
He was found to have a round of .22 calibre ammunition in his bumbag, the court was told.
A cartridge of ammunition was also found in a sunglasses case in a Lara carpark.
The court heard Brooks, in a police interview, made admissions about carrying a firearm “wrapped in a towel” and saying he “didn’t want his fingerprints on it.”
On September 28, the court heard the accused was also chased and arrested by police in North Geelong, and was found with four cartridges of ammunition.
The court also heard on April 1 in 2024, Brooks stole a Coles delivery truck after a driver left it running idle at Bunnings, in Norlane.
It’s alleged he was involved in an armed robbery 45 minutes after the theft, the court heard.
He pleaded guilty to a number of other thefts, attempted thefts, motor vehicle thefts and drug possession charges spanning from July 2024 to September this year.
Magistrate Kimberley Swadesir told Brooks every crime he committed “has a victim”, but his most serious offending related to his firearm offences.
The court heard he was already banned from owning a gun from his previous history.
He pleaded guilty to the firearm and ammunition possession charges, and possessing a loaded firearm in a public place.
In handing down her sentence, Ms Swadesir said “firearms cause deaths.”
“It is not news to you that you can’t be in possession of a firearm,” she said.
“You have thrown a weapon out of the car … tried to clean fingerprints from the gun.”
“This is incredibly serious in a public place”.
He was sentenced to 14 months in prison with a non-parole period of eight months, with 66 days to act as time served.
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Originally published as Jesse Brooks jailed over firearm, theft, possession crimes across Geelong, Melbourne
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