Pakenham father hid handgun under bed, mates’ rifles in garage
A peer-pressured Pakenham dad who did mates a favour stashing their rifles in his garage also hid his own handgun under his bed.
South East
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A father of four hid a homemade handgun under his mattress and stored two rifles in the garage of their family home, a court has heard.
Dean John Gooren admitted owning the pistol, but said the rifles were not his and he was only looking after them for other people.
As well as finding the three guns officers also uncovered a small amount of cannabis and a flick knife.
The 31-year-old carpenter pleaded guilty to firearms, weapons and drug possession charges at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard Gooren and his partner were separated but still shared the same Pakenham house with their four children.
On October 28 this year she came home but was unable to get inside, so rang police because she was concerned about his welfare.
When officers arrived they searched the house and found a gun under a mattress in the bedroom.
After Gooren was taken away to the police station for interviewing two rifles were then discovered in the garage.
Detectives also found cannabis and a knife.
Gooren told police he had made the gun himself and the knife was used for fishing.
He said the cannabis was old and he had forgotten he had it, and the rifles didn’t belong to him.
He appeared visibly upset during the online court hearing, which was watched by several of his family members.
He looked distressed when the police summary was read out, holding his head in his hands and crying.
His defence lawyer said Gooren was susceptible to peer pressure and stored the two rifles for other people, and the handgun was more like a replica that may not be able to be fired.
He said he had mental health issues, learning difficulties and a borderline personality disorder, and the month or so he had already spent in custody had been very onerous for him.
Magistrate Costas Kilias said the handmade gun was “meant to look, and did look, like a real firearm”.
“The higher courts have pronounced time and again the prevalence of handguns, homemade or not, is looked upon with great negativity,” Mr Kilias said.
He said his lack of priors, his personality issues and mental health concerns needed to be taken into account in sentencing.
Gooren was sent for a community corrections order assessment and the case adjourned to a later date.
