Damien Ripper: East Gippsland man jailed for threatening to kill three people at Golden Beach

An East Gippsland thug has been jailed after he threatened to kill three people while swinging a shifter after his son’s car was stolen.

A firewood supplier threatened to kill three people saying “I run this town” after his teenage son’s was stolen from his home in Golden Beach, a court has heard.

Damien Ripper, 45, has been sentenced to 30 months behind bars after earlier pleading guilty in the County Court to charges involving threatening to kill, theft, common law assault, pervert the course of justice and other offences.

A court heard, Ripper followed motorbike tracks to a campsite where he threatened to kill a group of people while swinging a shifter shouting “sign your bikes over, I run this town”.

The victims refused to give him the bikes, to which Ripper instructed his associates Darryl Heathcote, 56, his son and his partner, Megan Butler’s, son to “get the gun out of the back seat”

The three victims ran, called police and gave them a description of the four offenders.

A court heard, five days later police attended Ripper’s partner’s house and found Ripper hiding in a wardrobe with his partner’s son.

Ripper was taken into custody, where he organised false statutory declarations for his friends and his partner’s son to sign.

His partner was found guilty of writing the letters, stating in a police interview she did it because she was “blinded by love” and “needed” Ripper home.

A court heard Ripper has drug and alcohol problems and has been in and out of jail for almost 30 years.

Judge Elizabeth Gaynor said his relationship and work history will continue to be interrupted by “more stints in jail” if he doesn’t confront his past.

Ripper had served 604 days of pre-sentence detention at the time of sentencing and will be eligible for parole in two years.

Heathcote was handed down a 12-month community corrections order while Butler received an 18-month corrections order and 120 hours of unpaid community work.