Helensburgh: Kenneth Smith guilty of firing air rifle at wife while drunk

A man had been downing vodka lemonades when he confronted his wife of 37 years, ‘firing three shots’ at her with his air rifle.

A chronically ill Helensburgh man has admitted to firing an air rifle at his wife of 37 years after downing vodka lemonades.

Kenneth Norman Smith, 59, faced Wollongong Local Court last week where he pleaded guilty to using an offensive weapon with intention to commit an indictable offence and not keep firearm safely after firing the weapon at his wife on three occasions in January.

Agreed facts tendered to the court said in the lead up to January 5, Smith had been making threats toward his children and was a severe alcoholic, drinking a litre of vodka every two days.

Kenneth Norman Smith, 59, outside Wollongong Local Court on April 21. Picture: Madeline Crittenden.

His wife left the home shortly after to go shopping, however, Smith texted her, asking here “what the f**k are you doing” and that he had a “gun in hand”.

His wife returned to the home “scared and anxious” about what would happen, court documents stated. As she walked up the stairs to her home, the woman saw her husband pointing an air rifle directly at her.

Smith then fired a shot at his wife, prompting her to scream: “What the hell are you doing? Trying to shoot me?”

In response, Smith accused the woman of having an affair, saying “you have been meeting a man or woman up the road”.

The woman ran back down the stairs urging her husband to “put the gun down” before he fired two more shots at her.

After telling her husband she was going to call Triple-0, Smith told her: “If you do that that’s the last thing you will do”, according to the documents.

The woman left her home and went to a friend’s nearby, calling police to report her husband. Before police arrived at their Helensburgh home, the couple’s daughter attended the residence with her boyfriend, finding Smith asleep on the lounge with the air rifle next to him.

They removed the firearm from the room until police arrived to secure it.

According to the documents, police found that while the rifle was not loaded when Smith pulled the trigger, it still made a “firing” noise when the trigger was pulled.

Smith was supported by his son as he entered guilty pleas in court on April 21. He will return to the District Court for sentencing next month.