Frankston dad Scott Phillips pleads guilty at Korumburra court

A Frankston dad who fell into “negative peer group” after back surgery and started abusing drugs has been busted with a stash of meth, knifes, imitation firearms and tasers.

Scott Phillips faced the Korumburra Magistrates’ Court on and pleaded guilty to charges such as possessing a prohibited weapon without exemption and possessing methamphetamine.

A Frankston dad who fell into “negative peer group” after back surgery and started abusing drugs has been busted with a stash of meth, knifes an imitation firearms and tasers.

Scott Phillips faced the Korumburra Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon without exemption, possessing an imitation firearm without exemption, entering a private property without authority, possessing Diazepam, possessing methamphetamine and unlicensed driving.

The court heard the 38-year-old and a co-accused entered a private place without permission in January last year.

On another occasion, Phillips and his friend hired a vehicle from a Hertz Truck Rental, and Phillips drove the vehicle home to his co-accused’s house where he was staying at in Victoria’s southeast on July 17 last year.

Two days later, police attended the co-accused’s home and saw the rental truck in the driveway.

Scott Phillips leaving the Korumburra Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

Upon searching the property, they found a Nike bag in Phillips’ room that contained a black case with an imitation firearm lighter and another case with a flick knife and finger knife.

Police also found a zip lock bag with diazepam tablets inside, and two zip lock bags with crystal substance confirmed to be methamphetamine weighing 1.97 grams.

In another bag, police found four tasers and two zip lock bags of methamphetamine weighing 33.5 grams and the other 5.21 grams.

Phillips was arrested and taken to the Wonthaggi police station, where it was revealed he was unlicensed.

He was bailed to appear at court on October 26 last year.

Defence lawyer Emma Gray told the court in regards to the trespassing incident, her client was simply following along the co-accused.

Ms Gray said while there was no entry into the building, the pair shouldn’t have been there.

The court heard police found more than 40 grams of crystal substance, confirmed to be methamphetamine, in Phillips’ bags.

Phillips said the imitation firearm lighter was a “gimmicky gift” he bought for his step dad, the court was told.

His lawyer said a health patient summary confirmed Phillips suffered from a spinal injury in 2016 which he has prescribed medication for.

Ms Gray said after Phillips had surgery on his back, he fell into a “negative peer group” and commenced drug use, but was no longer using.

“That is an addiction he suffered with until he said the recent arrest in this matter really shook him and he made some significant life changes,” she said.

Magistrate Alanna Duffy placed Phillips on a community corrections order for 12 months with 100 hours of unpaid community work with a conviction.