A man who pulled a sawn-off shotgun on a Bendigo couple in their home before threatening to shoot another person dead, has told a court he feels "a lot of remorse" for his actions. Lyndon Kenneth Devereaux, 27, has pleaded guilty to two charges of making a threat to inflict serious injury, and single charges each of making a threat to kill, possessing a firearm as a prohibited person and possessing a drug of dependence. The County Court sitting in Bendigo heard Devereaux entered a home on December 4, 2022 alongside a man known to him. On entry to the house, that man's partner began yelling at Devereaux and the two had a verbal argument over a $60 debt that the court heard related to drugs. Devereaux then drew the gun and showed the cartridge to the woman. The court heard he said, "It's live ****" and continued pointing the gun at her. The woman's partner told Devereaux to stop after which the accused turned the gun on him. Devereaux also said he would go to the house of the woman's father and "shoot him in the head". Two young children were also present at the home during these threats. Devereaux eventually left and the woman immediately called her father and told him to call the police. The accused was arrested the following day in Eaglehawk. Police found his firearm and a spent shotgun shell in a search of his unit. Devereaux was not the holder of a relevant gun licence and was a prohibited person for five years. The court heard Devereaux had disclosed that he had the gun as he had been dealing drugs - namely cannabis. Police also found 28 grams of this drug at the home. The court heard a victim impact statement was submitted by the woman, "effectively on behalf" of her child. Judge George Georgiou said it was "a most unfortunate aspect that children were present and a six-year-old child was directly impacted and continues to suffer". The court heard Devereaux had experienced significant childhood trauma and was "abandoned" by his family when he was 12. The court heard the family moved interstate but he was left in Victoria. After that he lived with a friend before moving in with his father - although he was later kicked out by his dad. The court also heard Devereaux had suffered from drug abuse from an early age, as well as homelessness and a lack of connection with others. His defence team acknowledged Devereaux's previous offending had been at the "lower end" until his current matter. He described his teenage years as "using drugs and stealing cars" although the court did hear he went back to school to complete his VCE. The court heard "drugs got the better of him" and that he was keen to seek rehabilitation. Judge Georgiou acknowledged he had made a couple of attempts to withdraw from drugs and had also been bailed to a residential facility earlier this year. The court heard the "deeply unfortunate" suicide of Devereaux's best friend - with whom he had lived when was 12 - had caused him to leave that service. "He seems to be a man who has some insight into the harmful impacts of drug use upon him," Judge Georgiou said. Police Prosecutor David Cordy also acknowledged to the court that the young man, who appeared by video-link, had engaged with the hearing in a way that showed "a degree of insight". Devereaux will appear later in December for further plea and sentence, with 314 days of pre-sentence detention before December 8. For help contact:
