Man busted with guns, stolen car and drugs one month after prison release

A man was caught in possession of a gun and a knife, a stolen car, drugs and stolen registration plates one month after he was released from prison.

Ben Schultz, 32, pleaded guilty at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Tuesday to eight charges.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Jack Fletcher said Schultz left a Sebastopol service station without paying for fuel in September 2019.

The court heard later that month, Schultz stole a knife block set from House homewar store at Stockland Wendouree.

Both incidents were captured on CCTV.

The court heard police attended Schultz's Wendouree unit on September 25, 2019 to arrest him and his partner.

The use of drugs and leaving home put him in contact with the criminal justice system at a young age.Defence barrister Dianne Mitchell

Senior Constable Fletcher said police searched the house and found a loaded double barrel sawed-off shotgun and a double edged blade hunting knife in the bedroom.

The court heard police also found stolen registration plates, a small amount of green vegetable matter believed to be cannabis and a stolen Toyota Hilux ute with stolen registration plates attached.

The offending took place one month after Schultz was released following a six month prison sentence.

Defence barrister Dianne Mitchell said Schultz had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, diabetes and had 'an extensive battle' with drug abuse.

She said Schultz had left home at age 13 after his best friend died and his child died and he couch surfed with older people using drugs.

"The use of drugs and leaving home put him in contact with the criminal justice system at a young age," Ms Mitchell said.

Ms Mitchell said Schultz spent most of his formative years in his early 20s in custody from 2007 to 2013 and then spent four years out of custody from 2013.

"Whilst these are serious charges and he has a significant history, he is not a lost cause," he said.

"With extra support of a program he managed to stay out of custody."

Ms Mitchell said a relapse into methamphetamine use led to a return to serious offending and imprisonment in 2018.

"If he stops using drugs he has a good chance of not being a menace to society and coming back before the courts," she said.

Magistrate Ron Saines said he viewed Schultz's offending as serious, but a sentence imposed would see him released from prison soon.

Mr Saines said it would be important to have accommodation arrangements in place before Schultz was released from prison, as a return to homelessness and drug use had led to re-offending in the past.

Schultz has spent eight months in pre-sentence detention on these charges and on other charges relating to a stabbing incident.

Charges relating to a stabbing incident and a driving matter will be listed at court for a contested hearing.

Schultz will return to court on June 10 for sentencing.

If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thankyou very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.