Nathanael, Aaron Hayes plead guilty to Gardner’s Inn shooting

Two brothers decided to take matters into their own hands when they fired shots at a Blue Mountains pub.

A pair of Blue Mountains brothers who fired pistols inside a Blackheath pub have told a court they were only trying to scare the victims.

Aaron James Kirk Hayes, 26, and Nathanael Joseph Kieren Hayes, 27, originally denied the charges, but pleaded guilty to firing a firearm at other disregarding safety in the Local Court.

Aaron also pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying an unregistered firearm, two counts of possessing an unauthorised pistol, supplying a shortened firearm, and unlawfully selling firearms three or more times in a 12-month period.

Aaron and Nathanael Hayes shot at Matthew Wright at the Gardner’s Inn Hotel on September 5, 2019, after a verbal altercation with a different man. Picture: Google Maps

Nathanael pleaded guilty to supplying an unregistered firearm, supplying a shortened firearm, and unlawfully selling firearms three or more times in a 12-month period.

According to agreed facts, the brothers were at the Gardner’s Inn Hotel on the Great Western Highway, Blackheath, when Aaron had a verbal confrontation with another man at about 8.02pm on September 5, 2019.

The brothers left the hotel, but not before Aaron had made a ‘gun gesture’ and a ‘cut throat’ gesture at the man.

They then returned to the hotel at 10.54pm, where CCTV footage shows victim Matthew Wright letting the brothers into the rear-smoking section through an emergency exit.

Mr Wright then ran from the room through a door, and both Aaron and Nathanael fired shots that hit the doorframe at head height and the gyprock wall at waste height.

Both brothers fired one shot in the hotel, narrowly missing Matthew Wright. The gun pictured was not used in the crime. Picture: File

Aaron then told his girlfriend at the time to give him a fake alibi, telling her “u (sic) were at mine from 9 to 12pm tonight ok if anyone askes (sic)” by text.

His girlfriend originally gave police a false account, but gave a more truthful statement on October 2, saying Aaron had told her he “might’ve shot someone” while they were showering together after the incident.

Police also found two pistols at Nathanael’s rental property in Cronulla and found several texts between the brothers consistent with the supply of illegal guns.

In Penrith District Court, Aaron gave evidence that he had only wanted to scare the men he’d had an altercation with.

He said the men had threatened to “shoot his family”, and he felt “hurt and defensive” because of that.

The brothers bought alcohol from the Ivanhoe Hotel in Blackheath before choosing to return to the Gardner’s Inn Hotel later in the night.

“It was a dangerous, unacceptable thing for me to do – someone could have been injured,” he said.

Nathanael said he was heavily intoxicated on the night, and said he couldn’t remember whose idea it was to go back to the hotel.

“I’m extremely disappointed in myself, that’s not who I am as a person,” he said.

“I regret it, it’s a disgusting act.”

The brothers’ elder sister gave evidence they had a “dysfunctional, violent childhood” and were subject to “physical, verbal, and emotional abuse”.

The brothers will be sentenced on April 12.