Timothy Atkinson, 27, formerly of Shepparton, pleaded guilty in the Koori Court division of the Shepparton County Court to intentionally causing injury, assault, using a firearm as a prohibited person, making a threat to kill and attempted armed robbery.
Prosecutor Mitchell Wilson told the court Atkinson shot a 54-year-old man who was living in a tent in a Shepparton backyard on March 1, 2024.
The court heard Atkinson was driven to the property with a woman, and asked for the man and his partner at the front door before walking through the house to the backyard.
When he entered the tent he asked for someone he said had “bashed” his cousin or nephew, and the victim told him he’d been at the property yesterday.
Atkinson then used a sawn-off rifle to try to steal a satchel containing money that was owned by a man who was visiting the victim at the time, before hitting the visitor on the head with the rifle and saying “you don’t believe I’m going to use it”.
He also threatened to kill the man’s partner after he heard she was calling the police.
The court heard Atkinson told the shooting victim he’d blow his brains out if he didn’t hand over money in the satchel.
The victim followed Atkinson and the woman after they left the tent, before Atkinson shot him from five metres away.
The court heard the victim hear a bang, felt pain in his chest and saw blood.
The bullet entered the front of his chest on the left, and exited his left upper back.
The victim suffered trapped air and bleeding under the skin on the left upper chest wall, and bruising of the lung.
He didn’t require surgery and was discharged after two days in hospital.
The court heard none of the people in the tent knew Atkinson.
Atkinson’s defence barrister Joseph Bourke said methamphetamines had plagued his client for most of his adult life, and the offending happened in the context of a relapse.
He told the court his client had spent two and a half years on a drug and alcohol treatment order, and was employed for about a year before the incident.
Mr Bourke said his client understood the gravity and seriousness of his offending.
In a sentencing conversation with First Nations Elder Aunty Pam Pederson in court, Atkinson said he started using drugs again when he broke up with his ex.
He said he wished he could take it all back, and wanted to let the victim know how sorry he was.
Aunty Pam told Atkinson the incident shouldn’t have happened, and he could’ve killed the man he shot.
She suggested he write the victim an apology letter.
Atkinson will return for sentencing later in October.
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