Zachary John Gartside jailed for role in northern suburbs brawl and shootout
A drug-fuelled man who fired shots after a wild car chase on Main North Rd said he took the blame after he heard a child had been arrested for his crime.
North & North East
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A man who entangled himself in a wild car chase and shootout between warring groups took the blame after he heard a child had been arrested for his crime.
Zachary John Gartside, 26, was jailed after he ended up firing two shots at the other car in an act of retribution.
During sentencing, the District Court heard a violent brawl kicked off between two groups at an Elizabeth Vale house on January 21, last year.
The court heard the affray was followed by a shootout, where a Holden, driven by the other group chased a BMW Gartside was in along Main North Road.
“The Holden wove in and out of traffic and was eventually positioned in front of the BMW,” Judge Jo-Anne Deuter said.
“The Holden reversed back and shots were fired at the BMW from a shotgun within the Holden.
“Both cars continued down Main North Rd at speed, swerving in and out of traffic.”
The court heard once the car chase ended at Smithfield, Gartside got out of the passenger side of the BMW and discharged a sawn-off shotgun twice in the direction of the Holden.
Timothy Clarke, for Gartside, told the court during sentencing submissions his client’s reason for firing the shots was to end the feud.
Gartside, of Hillbank, pleaded guilty to affray and possessing and discharging a firearm.
The court heard Gartside was on the run at the time of the offending after cutting off his home detention bracelet while serving parole for armed robbery.
“You attended at the homes of various associates, and acted with bravado as you consumed methamphetamine,” Judge Deuter said.
“You got caught up with the others’ plans to deal with another group of associates.”
The court heard Gartside was charged with the firearms offending after police arrested the wrong person and Gartside admitted it was him.
“This was a 16-year-old boy who had been present at the affray. He was one of your co-accused’s children,” Judge Deuter said.
“You took the decision that it was not fair that that young boy should be charged with offences that you had in fact been guilty of.”
The court heard Gartside, who was born in Mount Gambier, had abused alcohol and drugs from a young age but wanted to turn his life around.
Judge Deuter sentenced Gartside to three years and nine months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and three months.
“Your offending was extremely dangerous,” she said.
“Firing a shotgun in an open street could have had very dire consequences.”
The sentence was backdated to June 17, 2022.
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