Cody Bradley: Man faces alleged Nimbin shooting charges

The solicitor of a man at the centre of an alleged Nimbin shooting has questioned the strength of the case alleging a deaf witness did not have hearing aids in at the time they heard a shot.

Concerns have been raised by the solicitor of an alleged Nimbin shooter about the prosecution’s case as she made a bid for the man’s freedom.

Cody Bradley, 20, was mentioned in Lismore Local Court on Friday, facing charges of discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, firing a firearm in a public place and common assault.

Mr Bradley has pleaded not guilty to the domestic violence related common assault charge.

Mr Bradley was arrested after an alleged July 30 shooting in Nimbin.

Police will allege they located a man in his 20s with a gunshot wound to the leg in Thorburn St after being called to the scene last year.

Mr Bradley was arrested later in East Lismore about 12.15pm on July 31.

Mr Bradley’s solicitor Katherine Brady said the six month period by which the Director of Public Prosecutions must certify his charges had elapsed in January with “no explanation” as to the delay.

She said he had been in custody since his arrest and “in the interests of justice” the indictable charge should be discharged.

Ms Brady further went on to allege the witness accounts were limited, with a number of civilian witnesses who didn’t actually see the alleged gunshot.

“(There are) just descriptions about what was possibly heard,” she said.

According to Ms Brady, one heard a “loud bang” similar to a car being hit, while another thought the bang was his electric door closing.

Another witness allegedly heard a gunshot but is partially deaf and only put in his hearing aid after the alleged shot, Ms Brady said.

The DPP solicitor said there was strong evidence of a witness seeing Mr Bradley allegedly holding a gun, before the victim said ‘shoot me’ and Mr Bradley allegedly fleeing the scene following a loud bang.

Ms Brady advocated for Mr Brady’s bail on the condition he didn’t enter Nimbin and abided by a curfew.

Magistrate Jeff Linden acknowledged the seriousness of the charge and the “difficult times (the court) is going through” when making his decision.

“(There is) a point where I say enough is enough,” he said.

“I have almost reached that point.”

He refused bail and said the case would be granted a final adjournment to June 15.