Trevor Leal jailed for detaining man at gunpoint inside Wollongong unit

A drug-addict who took a man hostage for nearly five hours while armed with a loaded gun has learnt his punishment for the terrifying ordeal in Wollongong.

Berkeley man Trevor Leal has been jailed for detaining a man and threatening him with a gun.

A Berkeley father who took a man hostage for nearly five hours while armed with a gun has been jailed for the terrifying ordeal.

Trevor Leal, 26, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison with a non parole period of four years and three months in Wollongong District Court on Wednesday.

Agreed facts said the series of events started when Leal stole a hire car from a female friend on October 26, 2022.

Leal failed to stop for officers in Berkeley while driving the stolen car the next morning and drove to Wollongong.

Police approached the intersection of Crown St and Mangerton Rd and saw Leal travelling at speed in the wrong direction.

There was a five-hour hostage operation at a unit complex on Bourke Street, Wollongong.

Leal drove towards the police car and collided with its bulbar before he crashed into another three cars and police pursued him.

Leal crashed into a fence of Bourke St unit block before up to an apartment where someone shouted, “gun, gun, he has a gun”.

Leal knocked on a random person’s door and a man opened it to find Leal holding a gun.

‘The cops are coming. Let me in. I have a gun. I have a hundred rounds. Don’t f--k with me, “ Leal told the man who raised his hands in surrender before he entered the unit.

The man told Leal, “I have kids man, please don’t,” to which Leal responded “you don’t have anything to worry about. Just do what I say.”

Leal pointed the gun at the man and told him to get him water and food, which he did, while Leal counted his ammunition.

Leal asked the man, “can I borrow your phone to call my family and tell them I love them. I don’t think this is going to end well.”

Police cordoned off the area during the siege.

He spoke to his family for 90 minutes before he pointed the gun at the victim and at the door.

“Anybody that walks through this door is going to get a bullet in them,” Leal said.

Leal smoked marijuana and repeatedly fired the gun but it did not discharge despite there being a bullet in the chamber.

The victim messaged his brother to tell him about the hostage situation.

“[He has] got a .22 rifle cut down. Won’t let me leave. Cops everywhere and news … Call them [police] now and let them know he’s not alone. He is at the front door waiting for them to enter so he can shoot.”

Leal refused to let the man leave multiple times and when there was a knock at the door, Leal told the man to go into a room and hide because he didn’t want him to get hurt.

Armed police spoke to Leal through the front door before he allowed the victim to leave.

Fifteen 15 minutes later he surrendered and the gun was seized.

The court heard Leal was also arrested on September 6 after police found a homemade firearm with a live round of ammunition under his car seat in Wollongong.

Leal pleaded guilty to taking and detaining a person for advantage; using an offensive weapon with intent to resist arrest; police pursuit and taking and driving a car without consent.

Leal was charged for a total of seven years and six months.

Judge Sharon Harris said the victim was detained and threatened for nearly five hours with a loaded gun pointed at him, noting he was “plainly and justifiably terrified”.

The court heard Leal “panicked” when he started the pursuit and took the man hostage because he knew he had breached his parole and expected to return to jail.

The court heard Leal had a dysfunctional childhood, took drugs from a young age and had a lengthy criminal history.

He had been released from prison in April 2022 after he was sentenced for an armed robbery.

The court heard Leal committed the robbery with his friend Michael Black, who he was also cellmates with, and Leal heard him be killed in prison from an adjacent cell.

Leal was diagnosed with severe drug abuse disorder, depression, anxiety and PTSD, with likely ADHD, and turned to drugs to self medicate.

Leal told the court he was heavily using drugs at the time of the offences but had been sober since May last year.

The court heard Leal, who is a father, planned to move away from Wollongong with his long term partner upon his release from prison.

Judge Harris accepted Leal’s genuine remorse and noted he would need help upon his release to remain drug free.

Leal will be eligible for release to parole on June 26, 2027.