San Remo: Justin Quarta found guilty of firing a shotgun at a car

A man has been found guilty of firing a shotgun twice at a car in the middle of a suburban street following an argument over women.

A man will be sentenced next year after being found guilty of an early morning shooting at San Remo in March last year.

Justin Quarta faced Downing Centre District Court on Tuesday after a Judge-alone trial at Gosford District Court where he pleaded not guilty to using an offensive weapon to commit an indictable offence of intimidation.

The 42-year-old from San Remo also pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of firing a firearm in a public place.

The court heard Quarta had breakfast with a woman, Tahlia Ogrady, at Lake Haven McDonald’s in the early hours of March 3, 2020 when he had a lengthy argument on the phone with a man named Isaiah Bowman — also known as Isaiah Toki — over Quarta’s girlfriend Jamie Lee.

Quarta and Ms Ogrady had breakfast at Lake Haven McDonald’s before the shooting. Image: Google Maps.

The court heard Quarta was angry at Mr Bowman for sleeping with Ms Lee and Mr Bowman was angry at Quarta for sleeping with Ms Ogrady.

The court heard after breakfast Quarta was driving Ms Ogrady’s black Subaru WRS when she noticed a black Holden Commodore that she knew was being used by her ex-partner Ryan Kenney, who also went by the name Arjay Kenney.

In her evidence she said she told Quarta “they’re coming” and he initially sped up thinking it was the police until she said “it’s the boys” and he stopped in the middle of Emu Drive.

She said Quarta got out and retrieved a gun from a backpack and a bullet from a pillowcase and fired at the Commodore, which had stopped about two houses down shortly before 6.30am

She told the court she slouched down in her seat and heard a second shot but couldn’t be sure if it came from Quarta or someone from the other car.

Mr Kenney gave evidence and told the court he stopped his car and saw the driver get out and fire at him but he ducked down, put the car in reverse before turning around and sped away.

He said the man who shot at him was not Quarta, who he said he had met for the first time in custody after the shooting, but another man who the court heard had died a month later in a crash.

Quarta gave evidence and said he was at home at the time of the shooting and explained messages between himself and Ms Ogrady were in relation to him buying a car from her.

However Judge Sharon Harris found while Mr Kenney’s overall description of the events was acceptable it was “convenient” the man he identified was the shooter had died.

Quarta fired two shells from a shotgun at the Holden Commodore. (File image)

She found Mr Kenney’s evidence about the identity of the shooter not acceptable and born out of a “code of conduct not to give evidence against another inmate”.

Judge Harris said while Ms Ogrady was taking drugs at the time and had deliberately picked the wrong person out of a photo line-up when first interviewed by police, the rest of her evidence was corroborated by other witnesses and the police officers involved in the investigation.

Judge Harris also found text messages Quarta sent to Ms Ogrady two days later which read “babe, I think I’m fukd here ay” and “I’m going back to jail” were admissions of guilt.

Judge Harris convicted Quarta of the charge of using an offensive weapon and as such was not required to deliver a finding in the alternative count.

Quarta will be sentenced on January 20.