A Victorian man has told a court he only wanted to make fireworks after being charged over the discovery in his house of a substantial amount of explosives and items used to make bombs.
Phillip John Marsh, 32, from Castlemaine, was charged with recklessly endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury and four charges of possessing explosive substances.
Marsh told an out-of-sessions court hearing in Castlemaine on Tuesday night he had no intention of committing terrorism or creating a bomb and only wanted to make fireworks.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
He was remanded to appear at Bendigo Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Marsh was arrested in Castlemaine after police searched a home in the town on Tuesday morning.
A remote-controlled police explosives robot with a camera attached entered the house later in the afternoon.
Detective Senior Sergeant Jeff Maher, from the arson and explosives squad, said a search of the home uncovered a substantial amount of explosives, precursors to explosives and other paraphernalia.
"We are talking about a fairly substantial quantity," he said. "We were aware he was obtaining explosives through various means."
Police did not say why the man had obtained the items. Neighbours were asked to leave their homes while bomb specialists and other police investigated the scene.
