Travis Ian Jealous found guilty of malicious act with intent in attempted murder trial

A man has been found guilty of malicious act with intent after shooting from his motorbike into a man’s vehicle at a busy Rockhampton intersection.

Police issued this image of Travis Jealous when he was 29 and police wanted to talk to him in relation to the shooting at Josh Bradshaw’s car. Picture Police Media

Travis Ian Jealous did not have enough time once he left his friend’s house to ride his motorbike in a position to be behind his victim’s car and carry out an alleged shooting.

This is what his defence barrister, Kylie Hillard, told a jury in the Supreme Court on Thursday, July 29.

Jealous, 30, pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder Joshua Adam Bradshaw, and not guilty to an alternative charge of attempt to cause grievous bodily harm by strike with a projectile.

The jury returned its verdicts on Friday afternoon, finding Jealous not guilty of attempted murder, but guilty of a malicious act with intent (the grievous bodily harm charge).

Mr Bradshaw, 34, told the court Jealous rode his motorcycle up behind Mr Bradshaw’s gold Holden Commodore sedan at the traffic lights on the corner of Farm Street and Yaamba Road sometime between April 30 and June 1, 2020.

He said that as he drove north towards Carlton Street, he heard the rev of a motorcycle nearby and thought the motorcyclist wanted to race.

Mr Bradshaw said when he turned to look at the motorcycle, there was a bang and a flash.

He told the jury it took him a few seconds to realise that may have been a bullet shot at him and he sped off out of fear of a second shot.

Mr Bradshaw said that after turning onto Yeppoon Road, he realised he was not being followed, so he drove onto Norman Road, then Farm Street, around Glenmore schools and onto Carlton Street to get to the house of a mutual friend of Jealous and Mr Bradshaw’s – Lai Larni Cameron.

Ms Hillard, during her closing address on Thursday, told the jury Ms Cameron’s evidence to the court indicated it was five to 10 minutes between Jealous leaving and Mr Bradshaw arriving.

Ms Hillard also pointed towards the fact Jealous was wearing motorcycle clothing made of Kevlar and leather, including a jacket which was heavy, stiff and zipped up.

Travis Ian Jealous when he was 26.

She also pointed out that Ms Cameron could not recall seeing bullets or Jealous preparing the firearm he had concealed in his jacket, before leaving her place.

Ms Hillard referred to evidence given by Queensland Police Service ballistic expert Brett Meara, who examined both the firearm police found in Jealous’ possession in West Stowe in June 2020 and a fragment recovered from Mr Bradshaw’s car.

The court heard it could not be determined if the firearm seized was the one which fired at Mr Bradshaw’s car.

Ms Hillard said Mr Meara’s evidence indicated it was not a simple matter of pulling out the gun allegedly involved in the shooting and firing it, as there were a number of steps required before that firearm could be discharged.

She said the fragment recovered weighed “significantly less” than the test shots.

She said there was also no evidence identifying the motorbike or the rider, nor evidence the motorbike rider Mr Bradshaw saw even had a gun.

Ms Hillard said a stick police placed in the hole in Mr Bradshaw’s car was at an angle that was “really square”, raising questions over if such an angle matched the allegation the shot fired at the car was part of an intent to kill Mr Bradshaw.

“It was well and truly aimed at the back seat,” she said.

“It was clearly a shot that was not remotely close to (Mr Bradshaw’s) head.”

As for crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips’ theory that the gun was heavier than Mr Jealous thought and the heaviness caused him to miss his intended target, Ms Hillard pointed out Jealous was “a big bloke” who owned the firearm and would know what scenarios were and weren’t possible when firing it.

“It is a reasonable possibility this gun was not used in that shooting,” Ms Hillard said.

“It is a reasonable possibility Travis Jealous was not the shooter.”

She also argued against the motive of the shooting being over a $300 drug debt.

“Who shoots someone over $300,” Ms Hillard said.

“Who tries to kill someone over $300?”

Ms Hillard argued this despite the video of Mr Bradshaw talking to Jealous in a Facebook call in August 2020, Jealous indicated the last time they ran into each other and there was a confrontation, it was “just (over) money”.

This call took place four days after Jealous used a woman’s account to sneakily ask Mr Bradshaw about sexual encounters he had with her.

Ms Hillard also suggested that while Jealous could be heard saying “I’ll pull a gun out on you anywhere” after Mr Bradshaw told him “you’re the big hero, pulling a gun out on a (motor) bike”, it was not her client admitting he had shot at Mr Bradshaw.

Jealous has been remanded in custody and his sentence date is yet to be set.