Colin Campbell in County Court in Bendigo for crimes, burglaries

Colin Joseph Campbell, 42, pleaded guilty to two burglary charges, three theft charges and a single charge each of firearm theft and dangerous or negligent driving while pursued by police in the County Court, sitting in Bendigo, on September 26.

He took seven guns, precious sentimental items from deceased family members and wedding rings, as well as harming pets at two properties in May 2022.

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He also pleaded guilty to a summary charge of disqualified driving and will be sentenced on October 5.

Campbell's burglaries were committed on May 2, 2022, in Corop, around 50 minutes north east of Bendigo, and Burnewang, around 40 minutes north east of the town.

The court also heard he stole a Subaru sedan from a Bendigo resident on May 27, 2022, and drove a car with fake plates onto footpaths near the Cornish Street housing commission flats carpark in Bendigo while being pursued by police.

Appearing before Judge Claire Quin, Campbell appeared in the dock and was supported by his mother and sister.

The court heard Campbell forced entry into the isolated Corop address first on May 2, 2022, stealing personal items including jewellery, binoculars, a hair straightener, clothing and assorted household items.

Campbell's fingerprints were later found on items such as the victim's medication boxes.

He also stuffed the toilet with toilet paper which he repeated at the second home.

The court heard he dropped a cigarette at both homes with evidence that matched his DNA profile.

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At the second address, this time in Burnewang - he broke a glass pane door and "ransacked" every room.

He pushed a firearms safe containing seven guns across the floor, leaving scrape marks, and loaded it in his car.

Items he took also included gold and diamond rings, canon EOS camera, Leatherman multi tool, $600 cash, a Samsung mobile phone, Fitbit charge 2, cufflinks, Eeyore and Piglet plush toys, jewellery boxes, rosary beads, PSE compound bow and arrows, a 20-pound redzone compound bow, wallet with personal cards, exercise weights and a large JBL party speaker.

Only one of the firearms has been recovered and was found sawn off.

The court heard emotional victim impact statements from three people across two homes who were impacted by the spree.

The Corop victim said the crimes had "a very damaging effect" and had left her asking, "why me?"

Through her victim impact statement she said jewellery given to her by her deceased sister was "gone forever" and her animals were left "traumatised".

She said she checked tyre marks at her home each day and worries about leaving home.

She estimated the damage at between $5000 and $10,000.

Two victim impact statements from a couple at the Burnewang home described how they felt their anxiety "skyrocket", and it was "crushing and heartbreaking" to see their belongings thrown on the ground.

The couple who estimate the damage as between $40,000 and $50,000 were not able to get renters insurance due to multiple bureaucratic and COVID related issues and they said the items stolen would take "years to replace".

Items from deceased love ones were stolen from this address, alongside a wedding and engagement ring.

The statements also said their two dogs - who were support dogs to assist with the woman's PTSD from a previous incident - had been "clearly abused".

The court heard the animals had been retrained and were still dealing with ongoing issues.

The animals were now frightened of saucepans, loud noises and feet or shoes near them and one victim said they had appeared sore after the burglary.

Campbell had been before the court 11 times and had breached almost all of his nine community correction orders, and for the current matters had spent 473 days of pre-sentence detention which was the longest term of incarceration he had faced.

The court heard Campbell had completed some drug programs in prison but was still deemed a high risk of reoffending.

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