Nathan Collins pleads guilty to weapons possession after Keysborough family home

A Keysborough landscaper with a “fondness” for illegal weapons also stashed a bulletproof vest and steroids under his bed at his parents’ house.

Nathan Collins pleaded guilty to possession of weapons and a drug of dependence in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court after a police raid uncovered knuckle dusters and a bulletproof vest in his family home.

A Keysborough landscaper busted with a small armoury of illegal weapons, a bulletproof vest and steroids at his parents’ home had a “fondness for certain items and artefacts”, a court has heard.

Nathan Collins, 29, was fined $4000 after he pleaded guilty in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on January 24 to three charges of possessing prohibited weapons without and one charge of possessing drug of dependence.

The court heard Collins’ family home was raided by Echo and Viper officers on December 1 in 2022, where police seized a set of black knuckle dusters, an extendible baton, a camouflage bull-proof vest and a vial of testosterone all found in his bedroom.

Police found a set of black knuckle dusters in Collins’ family home in Keysborough during the raid.

Collins handed himself into police on December 9 where he gave a no comment interview in relation to all seized items.

In court on Wednesday, police said Collins’ having the items without a “legitimate reason was concerning”.

Collins’ lawyer Richard Jacobson claimed his client didn’t have the items with the intent to use them.

“He has a fondness for certain items and artefacts,” Mr Jacobson told the court.

“He didn’t possess them for any nefarious reason, and they weren’t stored together either.”

Collins’ claimed he “didn’t remember” how or when he bought the weapons and bulletproof vest.

Magistrate Christina Windisch warned Collins’ of the potential ramifications of his actions.

Collins’ pleaded guilty in the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court. Picture: Valeriu Campan

“If these items fall into the wrong hands, there can be real problems in the community,” she said.

Mr Jacobson argued for a no conviction sentence for his client, claiming it would affect Collins’ new business.

“His business is in its infancy, your honour, a conviction could have a significant effect on its success,”

Ms Windisch took that factor into account, as well as Collins’ lack of prior offending, fining him $4000 without conviction.