Trent Leete pleads guilty to firing shotgun at Tuggerah
One of two men charged after Strike Force Raptor police allegedly seized a loaded shotgun, drugs, cash, war medals and a poker machine has pleaded guilty to firearm offences.
Central Coast
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Trent Steven Leete, 42, of Tumbi Umbi, appeared via video link at Wyong Local Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to firing a firearm in a public place, possessing ammunition and possessing a prohibited weapon.
An agreed set of police facts, tendered in court, state Leete was recorded on an intercepted telephone call asking how to load and operate a firearm on April 1, 2020.
“How may will it take out in one hit?” he asked another man, who replied “depends on how close together they are”.
A week later at 3am on April 8 Leete sent a text message to an unknown man asking him to “go round home and make sure she’s right” because he was worried someone was going to hurt a woman he knew.
At 4.13am he sent another text saying “I think I scared them off. I let two go in the sky. I heard at least two voice’s say `f…ing run’”.
At 4.32am the unknown male called the Leete who said he had scared them off but there was at least “one behind the container” and that he would “stay here for a little bit just behind the tree”.
On April 28 police obtained search warrants and the next day Strike Force Raptor North officers swooped on an industrial property at 198 Pacific Highway, Tuggerah, and two homes at Tumbi Umbi and Wadalba.
Police found Leete at the entrance to “shed seven” on the industrial complex and during the search they found a loaded Smith and Wesson pump action shotgun and a box of Champion 1300 shotgun rounds.
They also searched his Tumbi Umbi home and found, among other things, two spent 12 gauge cartridges, the facts state.
Leete was arrested on May 5 and participated in an electronic interview in which he said he “fired two shots in the air down the paddock on McPherson Rd”.
He also told police the gun was not his but he found it at the shed at 198 Pacific Highway and took the two spent rounds home with him and put the gun back where he found it.
He will be sentenced in December.
Meanwhile at Wadalba, police allegedly seized $900 cash, fireworks, war medals, cannabis, MDMA and a poker machine.
Paul Deligiannis, 58, of Wadalba, was charged with two counts of possessing a prohibited drug, which included 1.2 grams of methylamphetamine and 1.2 grams of MDMA.
He was also charged with unauthorised possession of a gaming machine, possessing or using a prohibited weapon without a permit, namely a black electronic control device, and possessing instructions for manufacturing a prohibited drug.
He is yet to enter any pleas will return to Belmont Local Court on October 28.