Former aircraft fitter Eric Van Berkel faces Ballarat court over construction of homemade guns

A Ballarat former aircraft fitter manufactured his own gun twice, and was found with a stack of ammunition among a host of stolen property.

Eric Van Berkel, 55, faced Ballarat court for making his own guns. Picture: File

A former aircraft fitter and dock worker constructed his own firearms and collected an arsenal of ammunition because he wanted to find out if he was a “good shot”.

Delacombe man Eric Van Berkel, 55, pleaded guilty to multiple charges at Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, where he appeared from custody.

The court heard that in March 2024, police found a homemade handgun concealed in a glove at Van Berkel’s residence, alongside a barrel, rounds, and magazines.

Van Berkel said he had fired the weapon about a dozen times.

“I’ve always wondered if I was a good shot with a handgun,” he told officers.

“The only way I could do it was to make one.

“I wondered how hard it would be to shoot one.”

“ … There’s nothing like that anywhere: it’s my design, I made it myself.”

Police searched Van Berkel’s home on January 1, 2025 and found another manufactured gun. Picture: File

Throughout 2024 he was also found using a stolen box trailer and number plates, and he stole coils of copper pipe and copper cables from a Wendouree address.

Police searched Van Berkel’s home on New Year’s Day 2025 and uncovered stolen number plates for a trailer, a stolen car, a homemade gun, 66 shotgun shells, 22 .22 ammo shells, 23 .410 ammunition cartridges, coils of copper wire, and more.

“I made that,” he said about the gun.

“I’m just a bit fearful, that’s all.”

Van Berkel will be assessed for a community corrections order and return to court at a later date.

He has spent 84 days in custody.