Darren Whittaker: Buckshot-bum crook caught with two shotguns

A man dropped off at hospital with a wound to his bottom had his house raided with cops finding shooters, ammo and drugs.

Darren Whittaker turned up at hospital with a gunshot wound to his bottom.

A firearm felon who went to get medical treatment for a shotgun injury to his buttocks was later nabbed with rifles, cartridges and amphetamines.

Darren Whittaker discharged himself early from a hospital emergency department only to find police raiding his house and finding all sorts of prohibited gear.

The Cranbourne 39-year-old pleaded guilty to illegally possessing firearms, ammunition and drugs at the Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

The career crook has a truly awful criminal history, having been in and out of jail multiple times in the past two decades.

He killed two young mums in a culpable crash when he was 18, and earlier this year was imprisoned again for yet more driving offences.

This time he admitted gun charges after a bizarre incident on January 18 last year.

At 1am a stolen car pulled up outside Casey Hospital, with a driver getting out and assisting an injured Whittaker into the emergency department.

There he was treated for a “superficial and shallow shotgun wound to his left buttock”, with a range of pellets embedded in his bottom.

Sometime after that he discharged himself from hospital, against the advice of doctors, and went home.

At 11am the armed crime squad raided his Cranbourne house, finding a backpack with a sawn-off shotgun, ammunition, a knife, some amphetamines and two stolen number plates inside.

Also in the bag was Whittaker’s wallet containing his ID.

A further search uncovered another bag in the back yard, with a second sawn-off shooter inside.

All the items had DNA linking them to Whittaker.

He was arrested, but remained mute in the interview.

Defence lawyer Chris McLennan said there was “not a lot” he could say.

He said his client had provided no explanation for possessing the weapons, and it just seemed guns were part of “the lifestyle he had been living”.

He said Whittaker’s life had been “chaotic from a young age” and he knew he was facing a substantial period of imprisonment for these crimes.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said the charges were very significant.

“Goodness knows what had happened,” Mr Lethbridge said.

“Somehow you ended up in hospital, thankfully with only mild injuries, because of an injury caused by a rifle or shotgun.

“These weapons are tools of the trade for professional criminals.”

Whittaker was jailed for 20 months and must serve a minimum of 14 months before being eligible for parole.