A Woonona bikie who shot his best friend of seven years after a falling out over the man’s decision to leave the Lone Wolf outlaw motorcycle club has told a court he deeply regrets his actions.
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“It’s hard to put into words but I will never be able to forgive myself for it,” Tyson Neil Bayley said during his sentence hearing in Wollongong District Court on Friday.
“We’d bickered in the past but always came good on it.
“It’s only after I did it that I realised I could never take it back. I’ve lost all our mutual friends because of it.
“I have dreams where me and him are back to being friends again and there’s no injury to his face but then I wake up to the reality of what I’ve done.”
Bayley, who sports a large wolf tattoo on his neck, pleaded guilty to a charge of discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm over the September 2016 shooting, which left ex-Lone Wolfer Nigel Romaniszyn partially blind in one eye and with permanently face scarring.
Court documents reveal the former friends fell out after Romaniszyn sought to leave the bikie club and the pair exchanged a series of threatening text messages in the weeks before the shooting.
Their verbal stoush came to a head one night, prompting Romaniszyn to agree to meet at Bayley’s home the next day.
However, Bayley opened fire at his former friend just moments after he pulled up and exited the vehicle.
Romaniszyn got back into his car and drove to a friend’s house on nearby Mountain Avenue where emergency services were contacted.
He was placed in an induced coma, intubated and airlifted to St George Hospital with gunshot wounds to his forehead, face and neck.
Bayley, along with two associates with him at the time, brothers Baris and Umit Esen, then piled into Umit’s car and drove off.
The trio was arrested less than a week later following an intensive investigation by Wollongong detectives.
The Esen brothers were both originally charged with being accessories after the fact, however Baris struck a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of concealing a serious indictable offence of another. He has since been placed on a two-year good behaviour bond.
In court on Friday, Umit was handed a suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to the accessory charge.
Bayley will be sentenced on May 30.
The following text messages are from an exchange between Tyson Bayley and the victim.
Tyson Bayley: I got nothing to speak to u about Dog u want ur one on one u know were I live
TB: Nothing to do with the club I'm no putrid c**t u wanna put me on the weak c**t we'll see, come get it
Victim: I not gona come to ya house that's a low act I'll see ya round no big deal y u wanna write back now
TB: Low act? I was ur brother I loved u and u turned on me come to my house c**t ur not my mate anymore
Victim: Yea going to someone's house is a low act! In my books! But wat evs I'll call u tomoz
TB: COME FIGHT THE WEAK C**T
TB: Get some rest ur over tomorrow
TB: See u at mine tomorrow
TB: Turn up or don't show ur face in woonona anymore
TB: Lol what u tryin to throw off this beef to him? He wants none of it and if he does hell cop what u do dog be at mine tomorrow this is my town this will be on my terms Unanderra mutt
Victim: Bring ya swag c**t u will be having a nap
TB: Be at mine or I'll come to yours
Victim: Come to mine and this is were u rest C**T
TB: Lol I've saved your life twice dog now I'm gonna take it
TB: You'll be leaving Wollongong tomorrow night
