Alleged Shepparton thieves accused of deals with bikies
Police allege bikies traded drugs for stolen guns in a shady deal connecting alleged Shepparton thieves with Melbourne gangs.
Goulburn Valley
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Police allege bikies traded meth and GHB for stolen guns in a dodgy deal connecting regional thieves with Melbourne gangs.
Shaun Bourke, 31, Garrie Talwopen Scott, 32, James Anthoy Sheehey, 42, and a 30-year-old woman appeared in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Friday over allegations they were involved in the theft and sale of four guns to “outlaw motorcycle gangs”.
The four Shepparton residents were swept up in statewide police raids on Thursday, with 14 search warrants executed across Victoria.
Eight Shepparton properties were searched in Numurkah Rd, Clarence St, King Richard Drive, Knight St, Cameron Ave, Palmer Rd, Blair Court and Darling Court.
Police said the raids were in connection to an alleged chainsaw burglary at an Apex Ct home in the early hours of Sunday morning, August 29.
Informant Detective Senior Constable Simon Bingham told the court the Apex Ct resident left his home to play Xbox and smoke meth at a friend’s place the night before.
Snr Constable Bingham said Bourke and Scott broke into the victim’s home via the bathroom window at 1.56am and used a chainsaw to break through the bolts attaching the gun safe to the timber floors and plaster walls.
The safe reportedly contained a 308 Rouger Scout rifle, a 9mm Bruno handgun, a 0.45 calibre Taurus Rossi Circuit Judge carbine, and a crossman air rifle, ammunition and firearm accessories.
Snr Constable Bingham alleged the pair also stole the man’s car keys, a rip curl bag containing headphones, shooting glasses and other items including a gold-detailed knife and a machete.
It was alleged the pair drove to a co-accused James Sheehey’s home on King Richards Drive and unloaded the gun safe.
Snr Constable Bingham said the stolen firearms and ammunition were put into a white Toyota Camri, which Sheehey and a woman in her 30s drove to Melbourne at 6.17pm.
The pair stayed at an apartment complex at Jane Bell Ln, Melbourne with another male co-accused as they negotiated the firearm sales.
Police claim CCTV footage showed Sheehey, the woman and the other man with the four stolen guns repacked in cardboard boxes in preparation for the sale at Corio.
Police say the stolen weapons were traded for 1.5 ounces of meth, $1000 in cash, 1L of GHB and two nights accommodation in a Geelong apartment.
The court heard allegations that Scott, Sheehey and the 30-year-old woman argued over the payment, and Sheehey travelled to meet the buyer to claim an additional 7g of meth – however this additional payment was later discovered to be “cutters”.
Bingham said the alleged trafficking of the stolen firearms put the weapons into the hands of “outlaw motorcycle gangs”.
The guns have not been recovered.
On Wednesday September 4, Scott was arrested for the theft of a motor vehicle, and police claim they could use the vehicle’s live tracking data to link their movements with the alleged gun sale.
Snr Constable Bingham said officers set up covert surveillance of the Shepparton homes in the weeks leading up to the raids.
On Thursday September 16 police launched the co-ordinated raids in Shepparton, with a further four people arrested from South Morang, Ocean Grove, North Shore and Corio.
Police also allegedly seized drugs believed to be methamphetamine and cannabis from multiple addresses in Shepparton and North Shore.
They also allegedly seized a stolen vehicle and several prohibited weapons including knives.
Magistrates Gerard Bryant said the alleged sale of the weapons was concerning.
“These are four weapons with ammunition potentially in the hands of a criminal element,” Mr Bryant said.
Bourke’s lawyer, Anthony Coote, said the 31-year-old was not involved in the accusations of a gun sale.
Mr Coote filed a bail application for the Shepparton man, stating there was limited evidence linking him to the gun sale.
The accused’s mum testified for her son’s release, saying he had stopped using meth for the past two weeks.
But Snr Constable Bingham said police opposed Bourke’s release.
Bourke was alone in the courtroom guarded by two officers as he watched the virtual court proceedings.
The 31-year-old Shepparton man was charged with burglary, theft of firearms, possessing a trafficable quantity of firearms, prohibited person possess firearm, possess ammunition and fail to comply with bail conditions.
Bourke will reappear in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court for a part-heard bail application on November 18, with a committal mention date set for January 18, 2022.
Garrie Scott was charged with burglary, theft of firearm, possession of trafficable quantity of firearms, prohibited person possess firearm, theft, fail to comply with 465AA court order, possess ammunition, recklessly cause injury, unlawful assault, assault by kicking and criminal damage.
Scott is expected to apply for bail in a hearing on October 5, with a further court date set for January 14, 2022.
A 30-year-old woman was charged with failing to comply with 465AA court order, commit an indictable offence while on bail and contravene bail conditions.
She was remanded to appear in Shepparton Magistrates court on October 4.
Sheehey was charged with being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition, handling stolen goods, possessing a trafficable quantity of firearms, committing an indictable offence while on bail.
The 42-year-old was remanded to reappear in Shepparton Magistrates Court on September 20.
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