Samuel ‘Sam’ Lynch: Grafton man, 42, jailed for more than a decade after 15-year-old boy shot in torso

A Grafton man who shot a 15-year-old boy in the mid-section at a gathering will spend more than a decade behind bars, despite being acquitted of the most serious charge against him. Here’s what happened.

The Downing Centre, Sydney. Picture: Nikki Short

A South Grafton man who shot a 15-year-old boy in the torso at a gathering will spend more than a decade behind bars, despite being acquitted of the most serious charge against him.

Judge Judge Robert Newlinds SC said while sentencing Samuel ‘Sam’ Lynch the prospect of him “roaming” the streets was “chilling”.

Strangely, the hefty jail term came after Lynch’s sensational victory in Grafton District Court earlier this year.

After a 15-day trial, a jury returned a not-guilty verdict to firing a gun with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Samuel Lynch was acquitted of two charges earlier this year, but sentenced for various other offences.

On Friday in Downing Centre District Court, Judge Robert Newlinds SC instead sentenced the 42-year-old for offences he pleaded guilty to earlier – including acquiring a pistol while subject to a firearms prohibition order, firing a gun in a manner likely to injure and possessing a prohibited firearm.

Offences arose from the evening of July 10, 2021, when chaos erupted at a South Grafton gathering.

Lynch’s defence did not dispute at the outset of the trial he arrived at the gathering with a pistol and that he later fired the gun.

But Judge Newlinds later told the court Lynch could not be punished for shooting the 15-year-old because he was acquitted of firing a gun with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Samuel Lynch.

It was not disputed either that a bullet entered the teen’s midsection and doctors considered it lucky he did not suffer major organ damage.

Judge Newlinds said Lynch went to the gathering intending to fight someone, brought his gun to the event and pointed the weapon at multiple people.

It was determined Lynch had the gun cocked, loaded and his finger was on the trigger.

“Without (Lynch) being criminally responsible for discharging it … (the firearm) did discharge and shot a young man,” he said.

Another young man was injured when he ran after Lynch, the court heard.

Lynch told the jury at trial he wanted to shoot the man – describing him as a “motherf--ker”.

A bullet grazed the man’s knee and he was left bearing a scar.

Lynch then fled South Grafton for the Gold Coast, where he was arrested on July 26, 2021.

The day before his arrest, Lynch filmed himself brandishing a gun and threatening a different man.

Lynch was also found guilty of supplying firearms to an associate convicted of drug dealing.

Lynch had no remorse, the court heard.

Judge Newlinds said Lynch “expressed no remorse” and effectively “blamed the victims”, who he still harboured “continual animosity” toward.

Referring to when Lynch took the stand, Judge Newlinds said: “He did not appear to regret having shot (the teen), nor display any empathy or concern for the two young men shot by his gun”.

Judge Newlinds told the court Lynch was a “dangerous, violent, habitual criminal” and to say he had a “poor criminal history” would be “to understate things almost to the point of being misleading”.

He said the “prospect of him returning to South Grafton and roaming the streets while armed is chilling”.

The court heard Lynch had a very tough upbringing and was diagnosed with an anti-social personality disorder.

He was convicted and sentenced to 16 years jail, with a non-parole period of 12 years.

Lynch will be eligible for parole on February 26, 2035.