A bikie enforcer facing life behind bars who allegedly fired a powerful military-style SKS assault rifle in front of his baby girl has been labelled ‘clueless’ by a judge.
The shocking vision of Rebels outlaw Matthew Bruce, 35, filmed by his girlfriend and co-accused Cursty Shields, 32, shows him test-firing the gun in Victoria’s Wombat State Forest as part of a promotional video to sell the rifle, a court has heard.
A short video appears to show Bruce with a cigarette hanging from his mouth as he pulled the trigger, all while his one-year-old daughter watched on in the background.
The clip was shown to County Court Judge Bill Stuart during a pre-sentence hearing for his girlfriend.
‘Clueless — smoking a cigarette, while holding a gun like that,’ Judge Stuart said, according to the Herald Sun.
Matthew Bruce (pictured) was allegely filmed by his girlfriend firing the military-style SKS assault rifle
The court heard how Shields allegedly feared her bikie boyfriend and felt she had ‘no option’ but to comply with his demands to film him on her phone.
The couple’s one-year-old daughter can be heard in the background of of the video.
‘Do you want go play with daddy’s gun?’ Shields can be heard asking her daughter.
She then said to Bruce: ‘I wonder what she will be like hearing it?’
Her boyfriend replied: ‘I want to make it work on full auto and this time I want you to record the whole f*****g thing.’
An earlier phone call intercepted by police heard the couple planning a trip to Bunnings to buy ear plugs for the child as the gun was ‘going to be loud’, the court heard.
Matthew Bruce’s one year daughter was present when he allegedly test-fired the powerful weapon (pictured) in a promotional video
Rebels bikie enforcer Matthew Bruce (pictured, right) and his girlfriend Cursty Shields (left) were arrested in February last year
Bruce faces life behind bars after Echo Taskforce detectives accused him of being behind an extensive gun and drug syndicate early last year.
The major crime ring involved arson, drive-by shootings, and the underground dealing of guns and drugs across Melbourne in the three months leading to to Bruce’s arrest in February 2019.
Shields was also arrested for her alleged involvement.
Police allegedly seized a number of illegal powerful firearms, including the SKS assault rifle, an action rifle, a shotgun, a small handgun with parts in a plastic case and another handgun hidden in a pillowcase after the couple were arrested.
A third handgun was allegedly found in a horse float used as storage while $17,000 in cash was found stashed in their freezer, the court was told.
‘Who still puts cash in the freezer? I reckon it’s one of the first places police look,’ Judge Stuart commented.
Cursty Shields (pictured) was also involved in her boyfriend’s extensive crime syndicate
The judge added it appeared Bruce had a number of ‘lackies’ to do his dirty work for him, including his girlfriend, the publication reported.
The court heard Shields brought, weighed, packaged and selling it to his clients.
The couple also supplied a shotgun to an associate who was ordered to fire shots into a Harkness home in Melbourne’s outer west on February 16 last year.
Bruce ordered another associate to torch cars at another property in the same suburbs several nights earlier, the court heard.
The pair have both pleaded guilty to trafficking a commercial quantity of ice, possessing a trafficable quantity of unregistered firearms, discharge firearm at premises, trafficking cannabis, and attempting to obtain property by deception.
Bruce faces additional charges of arson, possession of a firearm in contravention of his firearm prohibition order, and negligently dealing with proceeds of crime.
He faces a pre-sentence hearing on Monday.
Matthew Bruce (pictured on a motorbike with one of his children) faces life behind bars