Thomas Patterson sentenced for assisting Thomas O’Connor in Salisbury North drive-by shooting
A drug dealer has walked free from court for helping his bikie mate clean up gunshot residue after a revenge drive-by shooting.
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A drug dealing ex-bikie who assisted his mate in a revenge drive-by shooting by hiding evidence has walked free from court.
Thomas Wilshire Patterson, 30, was spared further jail time for his role after he quit ties with his bikie club and said he was steering clear of drugs.
During sentencing on Friday, the District Court heard Patterson assisted Thomas Mortiz O’Connor by removing traces of gunshot residue from the car after the shooting.
Patterson was with O’Connor, 33, – who were both Hells Angels members at the time – 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.
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.”
The court heard police stopped Patterson two weeks after the shooting.
They searched the car and found 27.4g of “high purity” mixed methamphetamine and $5250 was found secreted within the compartment of the driver’s side dashboard.
The court heard Patterson had a serious drug addiction at the time and was to receive a modest amount of methamphetamine as a reward for holding the drugs.
Patterson pleaded guilty to assisting an offender and drug trafficking.
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.
She ordered the sentence be served on home detention.
Trenerry, of Morphett Vale, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender and was sentenced in May to a $1000, one year good behaviour bond.
Charges were dropped against Ms Pilkington in February.
The court heard Patterson – who was no longer a member of the Hells Angels – had previously worked as a power line technician before he fell in the grip of his drug addiction.
The court heard Patterson planned to live with his parents upon release to assist him in staying off drugs and turning his life around.
Judge Rauf Soulio sentenced Patterson to two years and six months jail, with a non-parole period of eight months.
Due to the time he spent in custody and rehabilitation efforts, Patterson was ordered to serve the sentence on home detention.
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