Isaac Leaupepe: Tregear man pleads guilty to Maroubra shooting

The man who pulled the trigger of a gun during a family dispute inside an eastern suburbs unit before being arrested four days later has come clean.

A man has come clean about his role in a Maroubra shooting, after a family feud left his mother-in-law’s then boyfriend with a gunshot wound in the thigh, court documents reveal.

Isaac Leaupepe, 27, of Tregear, pleaded guilty to firing a firearm into building following an incident ata unit at Marine Parade, Maroubra, on July 4 last year.

Sautia and Leaupepe were arrested while driving along the Central Coast Highway. Picture: Richard Noone.

Documents tendered to Central Local Court lay out how the shooting took place, beginning with a dispute between Karen Prestons, the mother of Leaupepe’s partner Tiarn Sautia, and Prestons’ then boyfriend Nathan Ferriera.

“In the lead up to (the night of the shooting) … the victim (Mr Ferriera) and Prestons had been having problems with their relationship … Prestons had not been living in their Marine Parade unit,” agreed police facts state.

“About 9pm, Leaupepe, Sautia and Prestons arrived at the unit”.

When Prestons and Sautia entered the unit, Leaupepe initially stayed outside, the court heard.

The Maroubra unit where the shooting took place.

Soon, both mother and daughter began arguing with the victim, Mr Ferriera.

At one point, Prestons said to Mr Ferriera, “you better be outta here by next week — or else,” the court heard.

As the dispute escalated, Sautia ran out to Leaupepe and called his name.

“ (Leaupepe) ran across the road and up the side of the unit blocks to the front door … (he) was carrying a firearm in the front of his hoodie,” court documents state.

Soon after Mr Ferriera walked back inside his unit, the firearm was discharged.

“ (Leaupepe) ran out of the unit … (and) Prestons ran into her bedroom and climbed out the window,” police facts state.

Leaupepe fled the scene, speeding away in a black car.

Inside the stairwell where Mr Ferriera lay with a bullet wound to his thigh.

Mr Ferriera was left lying on the ground, having receiving a gunshot wound on the thigh. He was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital after his brother, who was in the unit at the time, waited with him while the police and ambulances arrived.

Five days later, heavily armed tactical police and plain clothes detectives later swooped on Leaupepe and Sautia’s car, driving along the Central Coast Highway near Kariong.

Leaupepe will return to court in June.

Sautia, who has not entered pleas to the charge of discharge firearm – accessory after the fact, will return to Downing Centre Local Court next week.