Benjamin Pratt has been sentenced to three years and four months' jail for his part in a "terrifying" incident in the stairwell of a Market Street unit block.
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The 35-year-old man plead guilty to using a mallet or large hammer with the intent to commit the indictable offence of intimidation.
Pratt and his co-accused, Matthew McGarrigle, confronted a 50-year-old man who had returned from buying soft drink and milk about 8.30pm on March 23, 2020.
As the man got out of his car, Pratt brandished a large hammer or malllet, and McGarrigle a shortened firearm.
They forced the man into a stairwell and demanded he let them into a unit.
Judge Andrew Haesler said the man was clearly confused and frightened in CCTV footage of the incident.
"His confusion and befuddlement is obvious ... it must have been a terrifying experience," Judge Haesler said.
Pratt and McGarigle told the victim to "get down," but instead he threw the drinks he had purchased at them.
The victim missed, and the men proceeded to hit him with their weapons, before the victim hit them with a bamboo screen.
At this point Pratt ran downstairs and left the scene. Shortly afterwards, McGarrigle shot the victim in the knee.
"Thankfully the victim suffered no serious damage," Judge Haesler said.
"[Pratt] was not responsible for the firearm, it is accepted he had no prior knowledge the firearm was going to be used."
Following a police investigation into the incident, Pratt was arrested on September 20, 2020.
Pratt's lawyer, Ben Hunt, said the incident was a turning point for Pratt, who had not come to the attention of the police between the time of the offence and his arrest six months later.
However, Pratt was on parole and four Community Corrections Orders when he committed the crime.
Mr Hunt said Pratt's offending was driven by his drug use following the death of his three-month-old daughter in 2014.
"This is his first violent offence, and he was shocked at what he had done," Mr Hunt said.
"There is a clear link between when his offending begins in 2015 and his daughter's tragic death."
Judge Haesler said Pratt blamed himself for being unable to resuscitate his daughter, and the trauma influenced his behaviour.
In addition to his plea of guilty, support from Pratt's "strongly pro-social" family was taken into account in his sentence of three years and four months imprisonment from his arrest in September 2020. With a non-parole period of one year and eight months, he is eligible for parole on May 19 2022.
"You've got a wonderful family Mr Pratt - take advantage of them," Judge Haesler said.
Read more: Court and crime
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