Shepparton man stole from victim and threatened him at gunpoint

Nov 14, 2022

Sentenced: A Shepparton man has been jailed after pleading guilty to charges including aggravated burglary and theft. Photo by Getty Images

A Shepparton man who stole from his victim at gunpoint and then used an accomplice to threaten him in jail to retract his statement to police has been jailed.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

James Bamblett, 27, was sentenced to eight years and nine months in jail and fined $500 in Melbourne County Court on November 14.

The court heard Bamblett and a co-accused went to a Coomboona property about 2.15am on July 10, 2020, looking for the victim’s housemate.

They threatened to injure the victim with a tyre lever and a hammer and stole $500 cash, keys and a phone, which was later found smashed.

The victim messaged Bamblett on Facebook asking him to return the money, and 10 days later Bamblett and two others returned in the middle of the night.

The victim was hit on the head and tried to run but Bamblett and another person caught up with him, with Bamblett showing him a handgun before they stole the victim’s new phone, wallet and motorbike.

Bamblett pointed the gun in the victim’s face and threatened to shoot him if he said anything about him or his family.

A year later, Bamblett’s associate was in the same jail as the victim and threatened him with violence if he didn’t retract his statement to police.

The victim was punched in the head before he complied.

Bamblett was arrested after both incidents and found with small quantities of methamphetamine.

The court heard Bamblett had a criminal history including being jailed for firearm, theft and motor vehicle offences, and had 13 priors for driving while disqualified.

His defence submitted he had a disrupted home life and childhood, witnessing domestic violence and attending 11 different schools until he left in year nine.

Bamblett, a First Nations man and father-of-two, abused drugs through his teenage years and had rarely worked since school.

A psychologist found he had complex PTSD and stimulant disorder, adjustment disorder with depression and had struggled to break a family cycle of recidivism.

Judge Geoffrey Chettle also took into account Bamblett’s early pleas of guilty and the effect of COVID-19 on conditions in custody.

He found Bamblett’s prospects of rehabilitation were “guarded” and said he needed to cease his illicit drug use.

Bamblett pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated burglary, three charges of theft, two charges of possessing a drug of dependence, one charge of criminal damage, make threat to seriously injure, prohibited person in possession of a firearm, attempting to pervert the course of justice and summary charges of assault in company and driving while disqualified.

Bamblett had already served 616 days in jail and will be eligible for parole after five years and nine months.