Rodney Munn, 39, denied bail over burglary, stolen goods, guns

Rodney Munn appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday, charged with numerous offences relating to the burglary of a waterfront construction site last month.

Rodney Munn. Picture: Facebook.

A stay-at-home-dad with a drug problem, who stands accused of moonlighting as a burglar, has been denied bail.

Rodney Munn, 39, appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday, charged with 18 offences relating to the burglary of a waterfront construction site last month, including burglary, theft, firearms possession as a prohibited person, possessing cartridge ammunition and seven counts of negligently dealing with the proceeds of a crime.

Magistrate Simon Guthrie refused bail and said Mr Munn was an “unacceptable risk” in the community.

The court heard that on October 15 Mr Munn and a co-accused robbed the Deakin University waterfront construction site.

Police informant Senior Constable Amber Kessler of Geelong Criminal Response Unit told the court the two men jumped a temporary fence and spent an hour breaking into toolboxes and rummaging through the site and loading items into a van.

On November 7, Mr Munn was arrested at his home in Werribee and his house was searched.

Police found the van, multiple allegedly stolen items and three shotguns in the roof.

When interviewed by police, Constable Kessler told the court Mr Munn made “full admissions” to possessing the firearms, stolen items and the burglary at Deakin waterfront.

The court heard Mr Munn told police he was willing to use the firearms to protect his family in the event of a home invasion. Constable Kessler testified that Mr Munn displayed a “blatant disregard for the law”, which, along with the “frequency and severity” of his alleged offending, rendered him unsuitable for bail.

The court heard that Mr Munn had committed offences while on bail on five previous occasions and had an “abhorrent criminal history”.

Mr Munn’s lawyer, Michael Brugman, argued that his client had co-operated with police and had never missed a court date, adding Mr Munn was a “devoted father” who had “strong ties to the community”.

Mr Brugman argued the fact the firearms still had their serial numbers was proof they had not been used “in any sinister way”.

“They haven’t quite made it into the underworld yet,” Mr Brugman said.

Mr Munn’s partner, Melanie Matthews, urged Mr Guthrie to allow him to return home.

Ms Matthews testified she was the family breadwinner and her husband was the stay-at-home dad for their two-year-old daughter, who had health issues and couldn’t be put in childcare. The couple also have an 18-year-old daughter.

If Mr Munn was denied bail, it would place the family in financial hardship, Ms Matthews told the court.

Magistrate Simon Guthrie said it was a difficult decision to make.

“I accept there are exceptional circumstances but you’re an unacceptable risk,” he told Mr Munn, who sat silently in the dock.

Mr Guthrie accepted that Ms Matthews was not aware of his crimes, but said it raised questions as to how she could monitor him if he was released on bail given he had a history of withholding information.

“Despite your (partner) giving evidence, and putting up a $2500 surety, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with her evidence,” he said.

“I don’t think she knows about your activities … what she doesn’t know is what (you’ve) withheld,” Mr Guthrie said.

Mr Munn will return to court in January.

Originally published as Rodney Munn, 39, denied bail over burglary, stolen goods, guns