Joshua Rae jailed for 11 years for violent home invasion where he blasted man in face

Half of Phillip Stennett’s jaw, tongue and the right side of his face were blasted off in a close range shotgun attack in 2017. Today his attacker learnt his fate.

Phillip Stennett was shot in the face during a home invasion at his Hamilton unit in December 2017

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An ice user who shouted “f*** you Phil” before blasting a man at close range with a sawn-off shotgun has been jailed for 11 years.

In December 2017, 31-year-old Joshua Rae was one of three men who stormed the Hamilton unit of Phillip Stennett.

Mr Stennett spent several weeks in intensive care after half of his jaw, tongue and the right side of his face were blasted off.

Rae pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm, possessing a shortened firearm without authority, and being involved in a police pursuit.

He was jailed on Tuesday for 11 years, with a non-parole period of eight years and three months.

Court details revealed a melee had occurred with co-accused Dion Welsh at the unit, before he was slashed by the victim on the arm with a samurai sword.

In his summary at Newcastle District Court on Tuesday, Judge Tim Gartelmann read out that when Rae raised the shotgun, he yelled “f*** you Phil” and shot Mr Stennett in the head.

He detailed when Rae was later talking to a friend he had said “as he turned I could see half his face hanging off and he was stumbling.

“It was crazy s*** we had to get out of there. I went in there with a few mates and he got a bit cheeky."

Philip Stennett spent weeks in an intensive care unit in Newcastle after half of his jaw, tongue and the right side of his face were blasted off. Supplied.

Judge Gartelmann noted Rae had a “dysfunctional” upbringing but showed no remorse for his actions.

He said Rae suffered paranoia due to the use of ice over a significant period of time and was in the habit of taking a loaded shotgun wherever he went.

"He went to the home of the victim to buy drugs...he claimed that he pointed the firearm at the victim and told him to put down the sword but he did not do so, so he fired a warning shot,” Judge Gartelmann said.

“He was capable of inflicting grave harm of death.”

Judge Gartelmann said there was no evidence the victim made continued threats towards anyone else before the shooting or that the shooting was premeditated.

But he cited the events as a callous attack that could have been fatal.

Joshua Rae was sentenced to 11 years jail after shooting a man in the face.

"The evidence cannot warrant a finding that the offence was part of any planned or organised criminal activity,” he added.

"He pointed the firearm at the victim's head before discharging it. The nature of the firearm, the direction in which it was pointed, all combine to demonstrate unequivocally he intended to inflict very grave harm.

"It is fortunate the victim was not killed. He suffered serious consequences, lost teeth and part of his jaw and tongue and has been scarred and disfigured, one eye doesn't close properly.”

It was then the Judge sentenced Rae to 11 years jail with a non-parole period of eight years and three months, the earliest to be released in April 2026.

At Rae’s last court appearance earlier this month, his lawyer Greg Schipp referred to a psychologist report and said his client had a reasonable life growing up until the suicide death of both of his parents.

He said it was the catalyst for Rae to immerse himself in a life of heavy drug use and alcohol abuse and despite attempts of rehabilitation, they were short lived.

Co-accused Dion Welsh is set to be sentenced in late November.