Man jailed after breaking into farm and Warrnambool restaurant

A county court judge has described a brazen daylight firearm burglary at a rural property near the South Australian border as "absolutely outrageous".

Mount Gambier's Matthew Bukovskis, 37, was jailed by judge John Smallwood for seven years with a minimum five years to serve before being eligible for parole.

Bukovskis pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool County Court to two counts of burglary, as well as single charges of theft of a firearm, theft and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

One set of charges related to the burglary at a farming property in Strathdownie, 16 kilometres east of the South Australian border, on January 20, 2022.

The second set of charges concerned a break-in at Warrnambool's Bojangles restaurant where Bukovskis had been working in November last year.

He forced entry through a rear door and took $1160 in cash as well as a tip jar containing about $400, in what judge Smallwood described as a gross breach of trust.

Bukovskis' DNA was found on a grinder and discs used to break into a gun safe at the Strathdownie farm. During a raid at his Mount Gambier home one of three stolen firearms was recovered.

In sentencing the judge said Bukovskis had five previous charges relating to firearm offences and he had other prior convictions for aggravated burglary and violence, which had resulted in jail sentences.

He said it was a serious criminal history.

In relation to the Strathdownie burglary ,the judge described it as premeditated and completely rejected Bukovskis' claim he had acted under duress.

He said residents of the home had arrived back while Bukovskis and a co-accused were leaving with three guns.

"You are clearly in this up to your neck," he told Bukovskis.

"The suggestion you acted under duress I reject completely." He said Bukovskis could also have been charged with aggravated burglary and robbery.

The judge said guns and a jemmy bar being raised to the residents, who drove away, was very serious offending, involving planning and some form of surveillance.

Judge Smallwood said the offending happened in broad daylight and he could only guess what would have happened if the residents were at home at the time.

He said victim impact statements revealed there had been dreadful consequences, including them feeling helpless, distraught and violated.

Bukovskis was arrested and then released on bail with the support of the court integrated services program.

He started work at Bojangles and then committed a burglary on the premises, at a time when he was not using drugs.

The judge said the community was terrified of criminals using guns and providing firearms to the criminal fraternity required a strong deterrent message.

He said Bukovskis had clearly been lying about his involvement in the farm firearm burglary.

Judge Smallwood said a letter of apology was an extraordinary document, which he described as insulting to the victims and a diatribe of self pity.

Earlier Thursday: DNA has proved crucial in placing a South Australian man at the scene of a firearms burglary near the border.

Mount Gambier's Matthew Bukovskis, 37, was identified as one of the offenders after his DNA was located at a Strathdownie property in January last year.

He has now pleaded guilty to his offending in the Warrnambool County Court and will be sentenced at 10am Thursday, July 27.

Police previously alleged one of three stolen firearms was pointed at a husband and wife during a brazen farm burglary in the far south-west.

Bukovskis was in March last year extradited to Victoria charged with theft, possessing a traffickable quantity of firearms, being a prohibited person in possession of firearms and reckless conduct endangering life.

A western region crime squad detective told the court the charges related to an alleged burglary at a farming property in Strathdownie, 16 kilometres east of the South Australian border, on January 20, last year.

He said a married couple returned home about noon to discover an unknown black Holden commodore parked adjacent to their shed.

They observed two unknown offenders running from the rear of the yard.

One was allegedly holding three firearms belonging to the victims and another a silver jemmy bar.

The detective said one of the accused men pointed one of the guns at the couple, who feared for their life.

The woman, who was driving, quickly reversed and fled the scene to seek refuge.

The sedan fled the property in a northerly direction.

It's alleged a .22 calibre rifle, a 12 gauge Browning shotgun and the centrefire .222 rifle were stolen, as well as a chainsaw.

Crime scene officers later attended and processed the property, which led to Bukovskis being identified.

A subsequent search of his property allegedly uncovered the centrefire .222 rifle, which was wrapped in newspaper dated January 22.

Judge John Smallwood said the offending was made worse by Bukovskis boasting he would commit a burglary at the farm where he had previously worked before the offence took place.

He said Bukovskis had previously served a long jail sentence in South Australia.

Crown prosecutor Richard Pirrie said it would have been terrifying for the couple to arrive home and to be confronted as they had been.

"It's everybody's nightmare," he said, adding the offending was pre-planned and involved the theft of weapons.

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