A Warrawong man has admitted to shooting his friend in the hand using a homemade shotgun while they were driving, a court has heard.
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Kurt Shore faced Wollongong Local Court on Friday to be sentenced for firearms charges including causing grievous bodily harm by unlawful act; firing a firearm in a public place; using an unregistered prohibited firearm and possessing a loaded firearm.
Magistrate Claire Girotto listened to submissions from Shore's lawyer before adjourning the matter to Monday so she could consider the sentence over the weekend.
Agreed facts tendered to court said Shore's friend left his home about 11pm on October 29 last year and went to Shore's home to collect a bag containing a homemade shotgun.
The pair drove to Robertson Lookout at Harry Graham Drive, Mount Keira where Shore fired the homemade firearm, which was loaded with a 12-gauge shotgun cartridge.
The pair feared the loud bang would attract the police so they fled the lookout and drove towards Mount Kembla Village.
Whilst driving, Shore inserted another cartridge into the firearm and his friend put his hand up and asked Shore to move the gun as it was pointed towards him.
The gun discharged and fired the wad and projectiles through the friend's hand virtually severing the ring and pinkie fingers.
A number of the birdshot projectiles struck the friend in the right side of his chest and upper right arm.
The friend stopped the car immediately and Shore got out, ran into the bush and discarded the gun before returning to the vehicle.
The friend drove them to Wollongong Hospital where he initially received treatment before he was taken to Sydney Hand Hospital.
He underwent surgery to amputate both fingers.
Shore drove the car back to his Warrawong home and parked it on the street.
Police found and seized the car after speaking to the friend at the hospital and Shore was arrested and charged.
The car keys, clothing and additional shotgun cartridges were found inside Shore's home, however the firearm was not recovered from the side of the road.
In court on Friday, police prosecutor Sergeant James Sala said this type of offending was why the state had strong firearms laws and gun owners required licences.
"This was a homemade firearm, he was not licenced and someone got injured," Sgt Saka said.
"The facts don't specific who made he firearm but guns can fall into the wrong hands, and I'm not saying he is criminal, but he is clearly inexperienced with firearms."
Defence lawyer Elizabeth Parkes asked Magistrate Girotto to consider sentencing Shore to an intensive corrections order due to his youth, physical vulnerability while being in custody and that it was his first time in prison.
Shore has been refused bail since his arrest on October 30.
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