Thomas Patterson pleads guilty to assisting Thomas O’Connor in Salisbury North drive-by shooting

A former Hells Angels bikie who assisted in a revenge drive-by shooting was also caught with meth and cash hidden in his car, a court heard.

An ex-bikie who assisted in a revenge drive-by shooting was also caught with meth and cash in his car, a court heard.

Former Hells Angels member Thomas Wilshire Patterson, 30, of Mile End, asked the court to spare him further jail time for his role, due to his insight and strong family support.

Ben Thilthorpe, for Patterson, told the District Court on Monday his client’s counsel Marie Shaw, KC, had returned a positive Covid result and asked for an adjournment for sentencing submissions.

Patterson was with Thomas Mortiz O’Connor, 33, his girlfriend Natalie Marie Pilkington, 28, and Lilli Mae Trenerry, 28, on November 26, 2020.

The court previously heard Trenerry organised the group to take revenge for her brother.

O’Connor fired bullets into the garage door of a Salisbury North property – which was the wrong house and not the target of their plan.

Thomas O'Connor was sentenced for discharging shots to frighten, annoy or injure someone. Picture: Facebook

Thomas Patterson pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and assisting an offender. Photo: Facebook

The group then attended at Lyell McEwin Hospital shortly after the shooting, where Ms Pilkington was treated for a gunshot wound to her hip.

During Trenerry’s sentencing submissions in March, the court heard when asked how Ms Pilkington sustained the gunshot wound, she told police it happened as they walked along the street.

John Wilson, for Trenerry, said his client was actually at Patterson’s house after the initial shooting when she saw O’Connor and Ms Pilkington go into the bathroom.

“She heard a loud bang, a gunshot and then she went in with Mr Patterson to the bathroom … and observed Ms Pilkington who had been shot,” he said.

“The inference that Ms Trenerry drew is that Mr O’Connor had shot his long-term girlfriend in the hip.”

On Monday, Mr Thilthorpe said Patterson’s car was seized after the shooting and drugs were found during a search.

“Mr Patterson was holding the methamphetamine and cash found secreted within the compartment of the driver’s side dashboard for a third party,” he said.

Lilli Trenerry will be sentenced later this month for assisting an offender. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Kelly Barnes

No charges were pursued against Natalie Pilkington. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Kelly Barnes

“For his part in storing the drugs and cash, Mr Patterson was to receive a modest amount of methamphetamine – thought to be in the range of an 8-ball for his own personal use.”

The court heard Patterson had a serious drug addiction at the time.

Mr Thilthorpe asked Judge Rauf Soulio to order a home detention report for Patterson, saying he was no longer a member of the Hells Angels and had unwavering family support and insight into his offending.

Mr Thilthorpe said O’Connor had received a home detention sentence for his “far more serious” offending and Patterson had spent more than two years in custody.

Judge Kudelka sentenced O’Connor in July last year for discharging a firearm to one year and 10 months, with a non-parole period of eight months.

Taking into account the eight months O’Connor had spent in custody and his good family support, she ordered the sentence be served on home detention.

The remaining trio were previously facing trial for discharging a firearm to injure, annoy or frighten a person but after negotiations Trenerry, of Morphett Vale, and Patterson, of Brahma Lodge, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender.

Patterson also pleaded guilty to drug trafficking.

The charge was dropped against Ms Pilkington in February.

Judge Soulio ordered a home detention report and adjourned Patterson’s charges until July.