Aaron Heffernan, 35, of Shepparton, pleaded guilty in the Koori Court division of the Shepparton County Court to trafficking a commercial quantity of 1-4 butanediol, burglary, theft and handling stolen goods.
He also pleaded guilty to a summary charge of committing an indictable offence while on bail.
Prosecutor David O’Doherty told the court Heffernan broke into and stole a bar fridge and dishwasher from a house under construction on Halpin Cres, Shepparton on December 29, 2023.
Heffernan’s co-offender also stole a range of kitchen appliances and supplies.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the owner said they’d felt unsafe in their own home since the burglary.
The court heard they’d experienced sleepless nights, distressing dreams and anxiety “fearing another break-in”.
“What hurts the most is the violation of my personal space,” they said.
“My home is not just a place with belongings, it’s my sanctuary.”
They said Heffernan and his co-offender took items of both monetary and sentimental value, and it cost them $30,000 to replace everything that was stolen.
The court heard they were now “more suspicious of others”, including their neighbours, and they “avoid going out of the house for extended periods of time”.
Mr O’Doherty also told the court police found seven bottles containing a total 2.341 litres of 1,4-butanediol inside a shed at Heffernan’s Shepparton home while executing a search warrant on January 15, 2024.
Police found evidence of drug trafficking on Heffernan’s phone, including tick sheets and messages between November 29, 2023 and January 15, 2024 from himself to a seller.
A box containing empty plastic bottles of 1,4-butanediol addressed to his co-offender was also found.
The court heard police also found power tools, an air conditioner, fireplace and pressure washer, along with a washing machine, bar fridge and dishwasher that had been stolen from Halpin Cres.
In another victim impact statement read to the court, the owner of the stolen power tools said he was “heartbroken” and had been “deeply affected” by the theft.
He said the tools represented the “foundation of my career in construction”, and the theft was “pushing me away from the career I spent years building”.
In a sentencing conversation with First Nations Elders in court, Heffernan said the victim impact statements made his offending “hit home a lot more”.
“When I was offending, it felt like just a building site,” he said.
“It’s not, it’s their home.”
Heffernan’s defence barrister Christopher Pearson said although the court had heard from two direct victims, there were “countless” victims of drug abuse in the community as a result of his client’s offending.
Mr Pearson said Heffernan was a drug addict himself for many years, but he’d “worked on himself while in jail”, doing “quite a lot of educational courses” and “establishing his Aboriginal connections”.
The court also heard Heffernan had ADHD, which had never been managed properly.
Heffernan will be sentenced later in May.
What is 1.4-butanediol?
According to WebMD, 1,4-butanediol is a chemical that is used as a source of GHB.
The chemical is converted to GHB in the body once ingested.
GHB is a recreational drug with euphoric and sedative effects.
It can slow the brain, cause loss of consciousness and dangerous slowing of breathing and other vital functions.
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