Thomas O’Connor, Thomas Patterson, Natalie Pilkington, Lilli Trenerry charged with drive by shooting
A pair of alleged Hells Angels and their girlfriends have faced court accused of a “revenge” drive-by shooting – but the wrong house was hit.
North & North East
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An alleged drive-by shooting went horribly wrong when the wrong house was targeted in an intended act of revenge, a court has heard.
Alleged Hells Angels OMCG members, Thomas Mortiz O’Connor, 30 and Thomas Wilshire Patterson, 28, are charged with firing shots at a Salisbury North house.
O’Connor’s girlfriend, Natalie Marie Pilkington, 26, who was shot during the alleged incident and Patterson’s girlfriend, Lilli Mae Trenerry, 26, are also accused of being involved in the mistaken shooting.
During O’Connor’s bail application on Friday, the Adelaide Magistrates Court heard that three shots from a .38 calibre firearm were fired at a Salisbury North property on November 26.
“It’s a drive through shooting at the wrong house,” a police prosecutor said.
The court heard Trenerry allegedly orchestrated the group to take revenge for her brother.
“She’s taken it upon herself to form a group to take revenge on this man who has been having a relationship with her brother’s partner,” the police prosecutor said.
The police prosecutor told the court that, despite CCTV footage showing the four co-accused at the address of the intended victim originally, they “made a mistake” and moved on to another house where the alleged shooting took place.
The court heard CCTV footage shows O’Connor, Pilkington and Trenerry at the Lyell McEwin Hospital shortly after the alleged shooting, where Pilkington was treated for a gunshot wound to her thigh.
“O’Connor says they were walking when a black car drove past and fired shots at them, one of which hit Pilkington in the hip,” the police prosecutor said.
The police prosecutor said their case is strong, with CCTV footage matching the descriptions of the four co-accused, as well as shell cases matching the gun allegedly found in the hospital toilets, shortly after witnesses saw O’Connor go in.
All four co-accused are charged with discharge firearm to injure, annoy or frighten a person.
Pilkington, of Mile End, was released on bail in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday, and Trenerry, of Morphett Vale, was released on police bail.
Patterson did not apply for bail in court on Thursday, and is also charged with trafficking controlled drugs after approximately 28g of methamphetamine and over $5,000 were allegedly found in his car as part of the shooting investigation.
The four co-accused are yet to enter pleas.
Yasmin McMahon, for O’Connor, told the court both O’Connor, of Mile End, and Patterson, of Brahma Lodge, had left the Hells Angels since the alleged incident.
“That’s a strong indicator that Mr O’Connor is headed on the right path towards rehabilitation, potentially as a consequence of his partner being shot in November,” she said.
Ms McMahon told the court it didn’t make sense that the four co-accused were at the correct address and then allegedly shot at the wrong address 10 minutes later.
“Mr O’Connor and none of the others seem to be in the vehicle at 2.06am when the shots are fired,” she said.
Magistrate Simon Smart denied O’Connor bail, saying the allegations were serious.
The charges were adjourned until August.
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