Man who shot victim in face for being intimate with girlfriend jailed

Bradley John Wilson, 26, has been jailed for more than two years after shooting a man in the face and shoulder with a homemade shotgun, the ACT Supreme Court has announced. According to prosecutors, Wilson intended to carry out retribution on the victim for intimate relations with his girlfriend, who had also enticed the victim to a home in Lyneham, Canberra's north, under the guise of purchasing drugs.

The incident occurred on the same day Wilson was released from custody for other matters. Wilson, who pleaded guilty to three charges, including discharging a firearm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, is eligible for parole in March 2027, taking into account the time already served.

The court heard that Wilson's motivation was rooted in his belief that the victim had been intimate with his girlfriend while he was imprisoned. Justice Andrew Muller noted that Wilson's offending and anti-social behavior were significantly influenced by the profound impact of his mother's death when he was a child. Wilson suffered from prolonged grief disorder after his mother was killed in a car accident driven by his father, who had swerved to avoid hitting a kangaroo.

This event marked the onset of Wilson's substance abuse issues, including a pathological pattern of behavior associated with his amphetamine and cannabis use.

Despite Wilson presenting a letter of apology and expressing genuine remorse, the court was skeptical about his sincerity. Wilson's sentence includes a two-year and nine-month jail term for the three offenses, with a non-parole period of one year and six months. However, due to his previous good behavior orders related to unrelated offenses, an additional six months were added to his sentence.