A GRAPE grower was struggling to cope with his mother’s disappearance at the time he plotted to blow up a rival winery, a court heard yesterday.
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Steven Bergamin, 25, formerly of Cheshunt, pleaded guilty in the County Court at Wangaratta to one count of incitment to commit criminal damage.
Judge Pamela Jenkins heard Bergamin approached a man on November 29, 2002, to blow up Gapsted Winery as payback for undercutting on the price of grapes.
His mother, Kath Bergamin, disappeared from her Wangaratta home on August 18, 2002, and has not been seen since.
A coroner found earlier this year that Mrs Bergamin had been murdered and her remains secretly dumped.
Steven Bergamin’s barrister Dr Greg Lyon SC told the court his client had acknowledged his emotional state went into rapid decline after his mother disappeared.
He said a psychological report tendered to the court stated his client was in a state of emotional vulnerability.
On November 29, 2002, Bergamin told the man Gapsted Winery had to go, he wanted the job made to look like a terrorist attack and he wanted the job done on December 15.
The man contacted police on December 5 and it was decided a police undercover operative would be introduced to Bergamin.
In January 2003 Bergamin met the undercover operative and told him he wanted significant damage done to the winery so it could not be rebuilt.
He said he wanted it done in April, after the grape growing season finished.
On February 20, Bergamin told the operative he wanted the job deferred to after May or June.
In March Bergamin told the police operative his problem was fixed, that the winery was going broke and he no longer wanted anything done.
Dr Lyon urged the judge to impose a suspended sentence or lesser penalty.
In doing so he asked the court consider Bergamin’s guilty plea, genuine remorse and the fact he had no prior convictions.
He said no payment was calculated, formulated or paid and the plan was never developed.
Dr Lyon said his client continually postponed the plan and had the good sense to withdraw from the “hare-brained” scheme.
He said Bergamin, who is studying his master of agribusiness at the University of Melbourne, was a young man focused on being a working member of society.
Prosecutor Bill Stougiannos said a suspended sentence was “within the range”.
Bergamin will be sentenced at the County Court in Melbourne on September 8.
