Central Qld man Piotr Ciszak caught target shooting on Rio Tinto land

When police busted a man target shooting with a high-powered air rifle on private land in Central Queensland, one of the first things he asked was ‘How did you know that I was here?’

Piotr Jacek Ciszak, , was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court after he was found target shooting on Rio Tinto land at Boyne Island. Generic image.

A Central Queensland man who went target shooting on private land owned by mining giant Rio Tinto, has faced court.

Piotr Jacek Ciszak, 73, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court to discharging a weapon on private land without the owner’s consent, and unlicensed driving.

The court heard that about 11am on December 11, police were conducting mobile patrols on Handley Dr, Boyne Island, when they saw Ciszak’s car parked in bushland which was private land belonging to Boyne Smelters Limited (Rio Tinto).

“Police drove up a dirt track and observed (Ciszak) sitting in a chair, approximately 10m from the vehicle,” police prosecutor Senior Constable Jessica McLaren said.

“They then observed a long-arm firearm (.25 calibre high-powered air rifle) in an opened case on the ground, directly next to (Ciszak).”

Snr Const McLaren said Ciszak told police he had been there for about an hour and was firing the rifle at targets that he had set up about 50m away.

The court heard that Ciszak had not obtained consent from the land owner (Rio Tinto) and he was of the mistaken belief that it was public property and he did not require permission to be there.

“He (Ciszak) did not offer any lawful or reasonable excuse for discharging the weapon, only asking police ‘how did you know that I was here?’” Snr Const McLaren said.

Gladstone Courthouse.

The court also heard that Ciszak should not have been driving as his licence was demerit point suspended at the time.

He was subsequently charged.

Solicitor Sophie-Lee Oliver said Ciszak had held a weapon’s licence in Queensland and New South Wales for 20 years.

Ms Oliver said Ciszak, a married father of two, had been retired for 10 years having worked as a mechanical engineer his whole adult life.

The solicitor said Ciszak, while his driver’s licence was suspended, was frustrated that he had not been able to do anything or get out of the house for five months and that’s why he drove to go target shooting.

“He made the decision (to drive) while upset and frustrated, and is remorseful for his actions,” Ms Oliver said.

“He didn’t realise it was private land that he was shooting on - he notes across the road from where he was, there is fences and signs which say ‘private land’.”

Magistrate Mary Buchanan fined Ciszak $950 and disqualified him from driving for six months.

A traffic conviction only was recorded.