Arron Mathew Simmons jailed for role in Richmond home shooting

A man who tattooed the wrong spelling of an infamous gang kingpin and convicted murderer Bassam Hamzy’s name on his face has refused to listen to his sentence for a shooting at a home in Richmond.

Arron Mathew Simmons has notorious Supermax inmate Bassam Hamzy's name incorrectly tattooed across his face and has been sentenced for firearms charges.

A man who tattooed the wrong spelling of an infamous gang kingpin and convicted murderer Bassam Hamzy’s name on his face has refused to listen to his sentence for a shooting at a home “under the cover of darkness”.

Arron Mathew Simmons, 33, was sentenced to eight years in jail with a non-parole period of five years for his involvement in a shooting with three others towards a woman and her Richmond house in 2020.

Simmons stormed out of the audiovisual room from Long Bay jail when Judge Jennie Girdham said he was convicted and started to hand down his punishment.

Simmons refused to come back into the room and could be heard yelling and laughing throughout the proceedings.

The actions come four days on from Simmons delaying his sentence when he refused to sit in the room to hear his case finalised.

Simmons was sentenced in Downing Centre District Court on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Simmons was found guilty of eight firearms charges, including firing a firearm at a dwelling house with disregard for safety, following a jury trial in NSW District Court in August, last year.

His co-offender Mohamed Hussein was sentenced to seven years with a non-parole period of four years and six months for his role in the frightening events.

The court heard Simmons, Hussein and two others, donned makeshift facial coverings and gloves and went to a semirural property in Richmond in the early hours of May 9, 2020, where a woman, her partner and three children were at home.

The woman had received threatening calls about her relationship with Hussein’s cousin’s former partner the previous day.

She was woken, went to the living room and saw shadowy figures in her driveway, before one of the members from the car brandished a firearm, the court heard.

Arron Simmons has Bassam Hamze tattooed on his face. The correct spelling is Hamzy.

The woman told the court three shots were fired, twice while she stood outside on the balcony.

She said the second discharge was aimed or directed towards her and she was within “spitting distance” of the figure holding the gun.

The participants fled back to the car and left but they crashed into a fence and fled on foot before police established a crime scene.

Hussein was arrested in the general area and Simmons was arrested on July 9, before police executed a search warrant at an apartment in Wolli Creek.

The pistol from which the bullets recovered from the crime scene had been fired was located in a bedroom in the apartment jointly occupied by the offenders.

Judge Girdham said Simmons did not know the woman, but agreed to go there to intimidate her, and was aware there was a gun, adding she was clearly visible on the balcony when two shots were fired.

Judge Girdham said there was a degree of planning, adding they wore disguises with Simmons’ involvement “neither spontaneous or short lived” nor it being a “random attack”.

The court heard the Crown could not prove beyond reasonable doubt which offender had fired the gun.

Simmons was jailed for eight years. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Simmons, who has a lengthy criminal history and was on parole at the time, was also subject to a firearms prohibition order.

The court heard Simmons had a “depraved childhood” and had engaged in “destructive substance abuse” behaviour throughout his life and had serious mental health illnesses including PTSD and bipolar.

The court heard Simmons was in a “manic compulsive state” at the time of the shooting and had since expressed regret and remorse towards the victim.

The court heard Simmons “could go from zero to 10 in seconds” and was described as ”impulsive and erratic”.

The court heard Simmons’ time in custody had been “most unsatisfactory” with reports of “assaults, stand overs and threats to staff”, adding he was “difficult to manage”.

Judge Girdham said Simmons’ prospects of rehabilitation were “poor” but could improve if he underwent mental health and drug treatment while in custody and on parole.

He will be eligible to apply for release to parole on August 8, 2025.