Peter Zdravkovic: Former Comanchero boss guilty on weapons charges after shooting back at four assassins
A jury has found former Comanchero boss Peter Zdravkovic guilty of minor weapons charges after he returned fire, naked, on four would-be assassins.
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Former Canberra Comanchero boss Peter Zdravkovic has been found guilty of weapons charges after police found a rifle and a set of knuckle dusters stashed in his home after a nude, late night shootout.
Zdravkovic, 38, had his finger blown off when four masked intruders stormed his home in 2018, shooting at him and torching cars in his yard.
He emerged nude from the shower, grabbed a rifle and returned fire, and a subsequent police search of his house uncovered the rifle and knuckle dusters.
His case at trial — which was rejected by Justice David Mossop — was that he possessed the weapons in self defence, having previously been shot at and knowing a rival Comanchero faction was planning to make an attempt on his life.
The jury returned its verdict on Friday morning, having been sent out to deliberate on Thursday afternoon.
He also unsuccessfully argued that he did not technically “possess” the weapons on the date of the police search, since he was not allowed to be at the house, which had been declared a crime scene.
The feud between Zdravkovic and a rival faction — led by now-dead former chapter president Pitasoni Ulavalu — boiled over when Zdravkovic posted photos of him setting his gang colours alight.
Zdravkovic’s barrister, Jason Moffett, on Friday told the court his client was considering appealing Justice Mossop’s ruling that self-defence was not a defence to the unlawful possession of a weapon.
Mr Moffett told the court the “extraordinary circumstances” in which Zdravkovic armed himself would justify him not being convicted on the weapons charges.
The identities of the four gunmen who attacked Zdravkovic are unknown.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
