AN offender who claimed he fell out of a divisional van in the past few days has pleaded guilty to other offending involving handing back a safe containing guns to the owner and been fined $3000.
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Christopher Chapman, 32, of Fitzroy Road, Warrnambool, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to a range of offending.
Magistrate Cynthia Toose said Chapman was a dill and on the periphery of a group of associates involved in very serious criminal activities.
She said it was fortunate he had taken a safe containing guns back to a victim, realising that whoever was involved in that theft had committed very serious criminal activity which would likely result in a long prison term.
The magistrate said Chapman had been reckless to who owned property that he obtained, including a computer belonging to the Warrnambool Presbyterian Church.
Ms Toose said if there was any evidence that Chapman had stolen the computer he would have been jailed.
In addition to being fined $3000, Chapman was palced on a 12-month community corrections order with conditions he be treated and assessed for issues and undertake offender programs.
"You have avoided prison by the narrowest of margins and have put yourself at significant risk," Ms Toose told Chapman.
"If you deal and associate with people involved in these sort of crimes it makes you a soft target. As you recognise people involved in stealing gun safes run the risk of very significant terms of imprisonment."
The magistrate said this was Chapman's last chance to avoid prison, warming if he was charged with similar offences relation to handling stolen goods in future he would be jailed.
Police said that a gun cabinet containing guns and power tools were stolen from a Warrnambool Whites Road property, the cabinet contained a shotgun and four rifles.
Chapman returned the gun safe the same afternoon stating he had got the safe from a person he declined to name.
Officers soon after executed a search warrant at his Fitzroy Road home and found some of the stolen power tools.
Other property found included a USB stolen during another burglary at a Menzies Street home along with a television and cash.
The computer found at Chapman's home was stolen in a burglary at the church on September 20 last year.
On March 30 this year a victim attended a service station where his bank card went missing.
The card was used the same day by a woman who claimed Chapman gave her the card.
Chapman has also charged with escaping from police custody this week.
He claims he fell out of the back of a police divisional van.
His solicitor is yet to view security camera footage of the incident and read statements from witnesses.