Stolen gun from burglary case found at northern suburbs high school, Hobart Supreme Court told

The trial continues for three men accused of aggravated burglary, and stealing multiple firearms from a backyard shed.

Supreme Court judge Justice Helen Wood. Picture: SUPPLIED

TASMANIA Police found a gun stolen in an aggravated burglary case on the grounds of a northern suburbs high school, a court has heard.

In the Supreme Court in Hobart before Justice Helen Wood today, Matthew John Davey, Daniel Cure and David John Eaton have pleaded not guilty to three counts each of aggravated burglary, stealing and stealing a firearm.

Crown prosecutor Liz Avery told the jury that on January 24-25, 2016, the three men ransacked a property on Blackstone Rd in the Launceston suburb of Blackstone Heights, stealing jewellery, including a wedding ring, from a safe, as well as 14 firearms from a firearms safe in a backyard shed.

The three accused were friends and Mr Davey and Mr Eaton were living together at the time at a property on Main Rd, Austins Ferry.

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Ms Avery said the crimes occurred on the Australia Day long weekend when the accused knew the homeowners would be away because Mr Davey knew one of the owner’s sister.

Ms Avery said it was not a crime “without its hiccups” — the first attempt was aborted and the second attempt the next day failed when Mr Eaton and Mr Cure, under instruction from Mr Davey on the phone from Hobart, could not get the welding equipment they had brought to break into the safes to work.

They raised concerns the amount of noise that was being made in their attempt to break into the firearm safe, the prosecution said.

The court heard a text message was sent from Mr Cure’s phone to Mr Davey’s phone which read “can’t risk it now — the neighbours are up looking about”.

Ms Avery said it was the third attempt which was successful, when all three men were present on the property.

The accused men were not immediately arrested.

The welding gear was left behind at the scene as was a bent screwdriver, which Ms Avery said the jury would later hear was found to have a DNA profile on it consistent with that of Mr Davey.

The following day, while searching a dog park in Summerhill, police found the allegedly stolen safe.

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Two of the stolen firearms also were recovered by police.

The court heard police had been monitoring the Austins Ferry property before the crime, and had named the case Operation Oracle. They had cameras installed which showed both the front and rear of the house.

In March 2016, the camera at the rear of the house showed a person climbing over the back fence to a tree on the grounds of St Virgil’s College and returning back to the house soon after, Ms Avery told the jury.

She said a police search the next day in that area found one of the stolen firearms, which was later found to have a DNA profile consistent with Mr Davey.

Mr Davey’s lawyer Fabiano Cangelosi said his client was not involved in the crimes.

Mr Eaton’s lawyer Philippa Morgan used her opening statement to introduce herself to the jury and Mr Cure’s lawyer, Kim Baumeler, chose not to give an opening statement.

The trial continues.