Unemployed father-of-four faces court over firearms charges

An unemployed Shepparton meth head broke into an acquaintance’s vacant home at night and nicked an arsenal of guns to exchange for drugs and money.

Garrie Scott stole firearms belonging to an acquaintance and offered them for sale in exchange for money and drugs.

An unemployed father of four who stole a gun safe from an acquaintance’s house and sold the firearms and ammunition in exchange for drugs and money has been sentenced to three years in jail.

The County Court imposed a non parole period of 23 months on Shepparton man Garrie Scott which means he is now eligible for parole given time spent in custody.

The 34-year-old appeared for sentencing on Wednesday after pleading guilty in the Koori Court on Monday to a swag of charges.

The included theft of a firearm, prohibited person being in possession of a firearm, ammunition and cartridge, and burglary.

The gun owner and Scott’s acquaintance is a member of the Pine Lodge Shooting Club in Shepparton. Scott and another person drove a Toyota Camry to the victim’s house when the latter was out on the evening of August 28, 2021.

Meth head Garrie Scott was willing to sell stolen firearms for drugs.

They located his gun safe which was locked and bolted to the floor. Both used power tools to cut around the floor and walls to remove the safe and a bag of other items, including a knife, a machete and a sheath, a speed loader, headphones, shooting glasses.

The gun safe contained a .038 Ruger scout rifle, a Bruno CZ 9mm handgun, a Taurus circuit judge and a crosman air rifle.

When the homeowner discovered the theft, he contacted Scott’s cousin who said Scott may have taken the items and police were notified.

The burglars drove to an apartment in Melbourne with the stolen guns and stayed there overnight. Scott forwarded photos of the stolen firearms to an associate who offered them to another person for sale.

Scott offered to sell the firearms for 1.5 ounces of methylamphetamine, $1000 cash and one litre of GHB.

On August 30, Scott went to Corio to meet with two others and agreed to sell the firearms to them for 1.5 ounces of methylamphetamine, $1000 cash and one litre of GHB.

None of the firearms were recovered.

Judge Scott Johns was guarded on Scott’s prospects of rehabilitation unless he got on top of his drug abuse.

The judge said theft of firearms could increase their illegitimate flow in the community and lead to very serious criminal offending.

He urged Scott to make good of his promises he made during a group conference in the Koori Court to focus on things that would keep him away from trouble once he got out of prison.