A Cringila man has admitted to injuring his partner when he hit her on the head with an illegal air rifle after peppering her with gel bullets in their home.
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Dalibor 'Dan' Budrovic appeared in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to reckless wounding, assault causing actual bodily harm and firearms charges.
Documents tendered to court said an argument broke out between Budrovic and his partner of 10 years after she shook the bed they were lying in on May 28 last year.
He had asked her not to because he had an upset stomach.
Budrovic then got his large black replica assault rifle from his closet, before he said to his partner, "now you will know what pain is".
He fired a number of gel ball bullets that hit her in the head and body from less than two metres away for several minutes.
The woman ducked for cover, placing her head in a cushion to avoid being hit as she yelled "I'm going Dan...stop it" and that the bullets were hurting her.
The woman's adult daughter came upstairs from the loungeroom after hearing the "pops" of the gel blaster rifle being fired rapidly.
The daughter yelled at Budrovic to stop and he yelled back at her, pausing to roll a cigarette while still firing the rifle at his partner with one hand.
Once Budrovic stopped firing, the partner reached out to grab the rifle by the handle but Budrovic got to it first. He lifted it above his head and struck her on the back of the head. The force caused part of the rifle to break.
The daughter called Triple 0 while her mother screamed hysterically as her head was bleeding heavily.
Paramedics arrived a short time later, while police established a crime scene.
The woman was taken to Wollongong Hospital to be treated for her injuries. She sustained a three centimetre laceration to her skull, which needed sutures, and more than 25 lesions to her back, arms, leg, chest and face from the bullets.
Police located 15 firearms and ammunition that were not stored correctly.
Budrovic had gone for a walk and later met police at his home before he was taken to Lake Illawarra police station and charged.
During an interview, Budrovic told police he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and was no longer taking his medication as "they stopped working" and he needed to find a new psychiatrist.
He said he was acting in self defence as his partner "lunged" at him and he felt "cornered".
Budrovic expressed remorse for hitting his partner over the head with his "toy", saying "I knew it was wrong".
Budrovic has been committed for sentence on five charges in Wollongong Distinct Court on February 19.
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