Nomad bikie shoots up unit and narrowly missed couple
A man has been sentenced for opening fire in a Newcastle unit complex following a bungled mission to confront a man he was arguing with on social media.
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A Newcastle Nomads bikie, who opened fire at a couple in a Cooks Hill unit complex narrowly missing both, has been sentenced to 10 years jail.
Dressed in all black, Michael Lockyer, 43, fronted Newcastle District Court on Friday over a bungled mission on July 25 last year, to confront a man that he had been fighting with over Facebook.
The court heard he went to the Darby St unit in the early hours armed with a baseball bat and had ripped off the screen door at one unit, only to realise he had the wrong one.
The mix-up angered Lockyer who then started ranting and raving loudly in the complex in a bid to lure out the man he had been arguing with.
Instead the ruckus he created, saw a couple who resided at a unit on the third floor, yell at him to be quiet as women and children were sleeping.
That enraged and annoyed Lockyer who then ordered a woman he was with to go get a loaded .45 calibre revolver from her unit.
Once in his possession, Lockyer then shot up the bathroom window where the couple were, with four bullets striking the wall and another passing through an open window between the couple, narrowly missing them both.
Police allege he then fled before coming back later that morning to break into another unit, this time with a five feet piece of timber, but again he had the wrong person.
Instead a scared woman looked back at Lockyer after he busted through her door and stood there for some time before telling her “I was knocking, looks like I got the wrong unit”.
He was arrested by police a short time later not far from the complex, a search of his unit uncovering a revolver hidden inside the oven.
Lockyer’s lawyer Philip Massey asked his client if he much memory of that night, to which he replied, “no”.
He told the court Lockyer was aware of the seriousness of the incident and was remorseful for his actions.
“I’m sorry for what I’ve done and no one should have been put through that,” Lockyer said on the stand.
“If they were here I would apologise to them.”
Mr Massey said the father of four was now at a crossroads, having used drugs and been in custody for most of his life, and that he wanted to change his lifestyle.
Lockyer earlier pleaded guilty to aggravated break and enter, firing a firearm with disregard to safety, possession of an unauthorised pistol and acquire pistol subject to firearms prohibition order.
On sentencing Magistrate Roy Ellis said it was clear he was under the influence of ice on that evening but it did not excuse his actions.
But he did agree Lockyer had shown genuine remorse.
He sentenced him to 10 years jail with a non parole period of six years and six months, which means he’ll be eligible for parole with time served in June 2025.
Lockyer also had a matter in the Local Court on Friday but that was adjourned until next week.
He was one of 21 Nomad members who fronted court in August charged with participation in a criminal group over a gang turf war with the Finks.