Brendan Leigh Tierney, 41, appeared in the County Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to criminal damage, aggravated burglary, theft, possession of a traffickable quantity of firearms, and two counts of intimidation of a law enforcement officer.

The court heard about 4pm on July 6, 2019, Tierney wore a mask while he used an axe to smash CCTV cameras at a Spring Gully property.

A woman who Tierney was with entered the home, telling the owner they needed to let Tierney inside.

Tierney entered a storage area at the front of the property and yelled for the owner to let him in. The court heard Tierney hit the security door with an axe but did not enter the front door of the house.

Tierney took eight pre-mix alcoholic drinks, three motorcycle helmets, three car stereos, a car charger, and a remote-control helicopter from the storage area of the home.

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The court heard then about 9am on July 15 last year, police executed a search warrant at a North Bendigo address where Tierney was present.

Police found a pipe bomb in the rear room of the house and evacuated while the bomb squad attended.

The device was analysed and found to be an improvised explosive device containing sparklers and rifle cartridges.

Police also found eight rifles, one shotgun, a dismantled pipe bomb, a skull mask, and ammunition.

Tierney was arrested and brought to the Bendigo Police Station for questioning.

In relation to the July 6 offending, Tierney told police he went to the Spring Gully home with a female friend.

He said he used a sledge hammer to smash CCTV cameras outside the house, which he believed were connected to drug dealing within the house.

Tierney also admitted to police he took some items from the front section of the house, including the alcoholic drinks, and put them in his car.

Tierney also acknowledged to officers that three motorcycle helmets, car stereos, and a remote-control helicopter were stolen.

Tierney told police he was wearing a mask during the incident but took it off at one point to look at the cameras.

In relation to the firearms, Tierney told police he paid $100,000 for the guns at his house so he could protect his family and attack bikies.

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He admitted he had between nine and 12 rifles in his house, but told police he had not used the firearms.

Tierney told police he constructed the pipe bomb and was going to throw it through one of the "paedophile's windows".

The court heard throughout the police interview, Tierney expressed concern there was a connection between the occupants of the house, the Rebels Bikie Gang, paedophilia, and drug dealing.

The court heard on July 16 last year, Tierney was transported from Bendigo to Melbourne in an unmarked brawler vehicle. He was handcuffed and placed in the pod compartment of the brawler.

About two minutes after leaving the Bendigo Police Station, Tierney started yelling at the two custody officers through the Perspex window.

He told the officers that he would kill them and the cops that arrested him.

The court heard Tierney was kicking the window between the pod and the driver's compartment so hard that the custody officers were worried it would break.

The court heard the yelling and kicking continued for the entire trip between Bendigo and Melbourne.

Defence counsel Nicholas Rolfe told the court Tierney was suffering from persecutory delusions at the time of the offending and believed the firearms would protect him from the bikies who were threatening him.

A medical report submitted to the court showed Tierney was having the delusions for at least six months before the offending.

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Mr Rolfe said Tierney had been taking prescribed medication to improve his mental health while in custody, which had made the delusions less distressing for Tierney.

Mr Rolfe said his client's poor mental health at the time of the offending was a factor that needed to be taken into consideration in sentencing.

Mr Rolfe submitted a longer parole period would be beneficial to Tierney.

Crown prosecutor David Cordy agreed a longer parole period could be satisfactory but said the Judge should see the context of Tierney's behaviour.

Mr Cordy said Tierney's poor mental health seemed to be related to his abuse of alcohol and other illicit substances.

Mr Cordy said the weight of that defence should be moderated to some extent because it was Tierney's own behaviour that influenced his mental health.

Judge David Sexton said there was an unchallenged expert opinion that Tierney was addled by a delusional disorder at the time of offending.

Judge Sexton said he was not sure how far he could take the prosecution's analysis when considering a sentence.

Tierney was remanded in custody. He is due to return to the County Court next month for sentencing.

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