Rural View alleged shooter charged with attempted armed robbery

An alleged shooter accused of wounding a man with a shotgun will go back to jail on remand. Read the latest.

An alleged shooter accused of wounding a man with a shotgun at Rural View will go back to jail on remand.

On Monday April 11, a South Mackay 28 year old allegedly fired a shotgun into the side of a car where it ricocheted and hit another man in the ankle.

Jacob Dean Cavanagh is charged with attempted armed robbery with violence over the alleged incident.

It is alleged a 34-year-old man was sitting alone in a vehicle about 2.30pm on McHugh St when a black SUV approached him.

Police allege Mr Cavanagh, who was in the black SUV, threatened the man with a gun in an attempt to steal the car “and in the course of events a firearm was discharged injuring the man’s lower legs”.

Mackay Detective Inspector Tom Armitt said both men were known to police. But at this stage it is unknown what sparked the alleged shooting.

Mr Cavanagh was arrested on Nebo Rd on Wednesday afternoon and taken into custody.

Inspector Armitt said a woman who had allegedly been with Mr Cavanagh during the shooting incident had been taken into custody for alleged drug offences. She was charged with drug possession offences.

Mr Cavanagh appeared in court on Thursday morning where his solicitor Sean Gibbs, of Fisher Dore Lawyers, said his client was on a return to prison warrant.

Mr Gibbs told the court there were other charges pending and asked for the matter to be adjourned for two weeks to April 28. No bail application was made.

Speaking at a media conference Inspector Armitt said this incident followed unrelated alleged drug-fuelled violence in the Mackay region.

“There is a strong market for methamphetamine in the Mackay area,” Inspector Armitt said.

Speaking generally he said: “Since our arrests earlier on in the year, other persons have attempted to move in on that market.”

“There was a vacuum created, and persons have tried to fill that vacuum.”

But Inspector Armitt said these would-be drug suppliers had failed to gain a foothold as police continued to make arrests.

Inspector Armitt said he had a message for anyone contemplating getting involved in selling drugs.

“Our focus and attention is on those criminal networks looking to distribute and sell those drugs rather than the victims of the drug use themselves,” he said.

“Banking on the addiction and suffering of others and driving other associated crimes within the community that you are not safe from our attention and our ongoing efforts to dismantle you and disrupt your activities.

“So we will remain relentless in this action, of targeting you and placing you in custody for your crimes.”