A father has admitted to shooting a man in the knee inside a Wollongong unit block stairwell after demanding to be let into an apartment.
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Matthew McGarrigle, 22, fronted Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to shooting a 50-year-old man outside his friend's Market Street apartment on March 24 last year.
Agreed facts tendered to court said the man was visiting his friend and upon getting out of his parked car he was approached by McGarrigle, and a second man, dressed in dark clothing and wearing gloves.
One of the men allegedly said "get the f**k in" as the man, who was holding bottles of Coke under his arm, was shoved inside the entry door and into the stairwell.
McGarrigle had a gun and the other man allegedly had a mallet as they pushed the man up the stairs while he protested and asked, "who are you and what do you want?"
The second man allegedly hit the 50-year-old in the chest with the mallet before McGarrigle struck him with the gun as they yelled at him to get inside.
The man shouted, "I don't live here and I don't have the keys".
The pair allegedly pushed the man to the top of the stairs and sat him down on the landing outside his friend's unit.
The man attempted to throw the drink bottles at them but missed which made the men become more aggressive and prompted them to allegedly hit him with their weapons again.
The second man allegedly ran down the stairs but McGarrigle stood back and pulled the trigger of the shortened rifle as the man yelled "don't".
The man heard a "pop sound" as the gun was fired and he thought the bullet had bounced off his knee, he later told police.
Part of the alleged assault was captured on a doorbell camera but it was knocked out and the feed was cut.
The man knocked on his female friend's door and yelled, "let me in they're gone" before she opened it and said, "just get in".
A neighbour had called the police upon hearing the gunshot and officers arrived a short time later to find the man laying on a bed.
Paramedics also went to the unit before they took the man to hospital where he underwent surgery to remove the bullet from his knee. He also had pain and abrasions to his torso.
Police established a crime scene and recovered the bullet but were not allowed to enter the woman's unit until they obtained a search warrant.
Officers seized a number of items from inside the home including $500 cash, a plastic releasable bag containing a crystal substance, three USBs belonging to the victim, and a credit card.
Police later found a .22 calibre rifle wrapped in a tea towel when they carried out a search warrant at a Dapto home on May 11.
It was examined and McGarrigle's DNA was found on the rifle.
McGarrigle was arrested on June 12 after they saw him driving along the Princes Highway in Albion Park Rail and he was charged.
McGarrigle pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, armed with intent to commit a serious indictable offence namely intimidation in company and possessing a shortened firearm without authority.
McGarrigle will be sentenced in Wollongong District Court. His case was adjourned to July 9.
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