Belmont father Braidon Holland sent threatening messages to associates

A Belmont father who threatened to shoot his associates if they went to the police, has been sentenced for his offending.

Braidon Holland appeared in the Geelong Magistrates' Court on Friday. Picture: Supplied

A Belmont father warned associates they would “get a bullet” because he believed they had burgled his home.

Braidon Holland, a former concreter, pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday to a number of charges, including theft.

Holland had sent threatening messages to a friend and his friend’s partner because they had allegedly owed him money.

Senior Constable Alex Turner said Holland was of the belief that his friend had broken into his house on more than one occasion.

The court heard Holland sent a snapchat video message holding a firearm between his legs on September 27, 2023 which said “no ones gonna be able to stop when I snap”.

On October 3, Holland sent another snapchat video which said “any other dog c--- sl-t goes to the jacks, then you will cop it and get a bullet”.

When he was placed under arrest by police in relation to the threatening messages, he said he wanted them to think he had a gun, but was using a gel blaster.

“It was silly, I wasn’t in the right place at the time, I just wanted my money, and was abusing ice and Xanax at that time,” he told police.

In a separate incident Holland was also in possession of a number of stolen items from a house in Hamlyn Heights which was the subject of an aggravated burglary on July 18 last year.

The court heard the victims were able to track the stolen items, which included a macbook and airpods.

Constable Turner told the court the victims located the items to an address in Grovedale.

Police knocked on the front door, and spoke to the occupant of the house, before making their way inside and speaking to Holland.

Holland was in possession of cannabis, a set of stolen car keys, laptops, backpacks and watches.

Constable Turner said Holland had been holding the items for a friend, and was then arrested and placed inside the police van.

Officers then found further items in Holland’s underwear, which included sunglasses and two mens watches.

He told police he stuck them down his pants after he heard a knock on the door.

“It was stupid and I’m a dumb c--- for doing it, I thought I was helping out a mate,” Holland told police at the time.

His lawyer, Caetlyn Wells-Simon, said her client’s offending was indicative of a young man who got in with the wrong people.

Magistrate Franz Holzer told Holland he couldn’t take the law into his own hands.

Holland was sentenced to a community corrections order with convictions.

Originally published as Belmont father Braidon Holland sent threatening messages to associates