Phillip Thomas, who was shot in buttocks at Musswellbrook, did not see alleged robber’s face
Newcastle District Court has heard Phillip Thomas was “shot in the ringhole” after being told to return to a house where he had earlier bought seven grams of “ice” for $2000 on April 21, 2017.
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A MAN shot in the buttocks by a masked gunman following a Muswellbrook drug buy has admitted he was under the influence of “ice” and could not see his attacker’s face when he was ambushed.
Newcastle District Court has heard Phillip Thomas was “shot in the ringhole” after being told to return to a house where he had earlier bought seven grams of “ice” for $2000 on April 21, 2017.
Daniel Paul Bell, 40, has pleaded not guilty to shoot with intent to murder and aggravated armed robbery.
In his second day of evidence, Mr Thomas had told the court that he could identify Mr Bell as the gunman who had approached him outside the Anzac Pde house because he had recognised his “demeanor” and “body language” from a meeting he had with Mr Bell the previous evening.
Under cross-examination from defence barrister Michael Coroneos, Mr Thomas agreed he had taken “ice” when he had first arrived at the house earlier on the day he was shot.
Mr Thomas had returned to the house after being told he had taken the wrong “bags” of drugs before he was confronted by the masked gunman.
He agreed in court that he was under the influence of “ice” when he was shot, that it was dark and that he could not see the gunman’s face because of a balaclava.
He also agreed that he had not identified Mr Bell as his attacker to anyone who helped him immediately after being shot, and said he could not remember a conversation he had with his partner in the hours after the shooting.
At that time the court heard he said “I don’t know what happened” and failed to mention his attacker’s name.
IN OTHER NEWS
The jury heard Mr Thomas told police during an interview in his John Hunter Hospital bed that it was “Danny Bell” who shot him because he had a conversation with him the previous night when he had attempted to buy drugs on credit.
Mr Thomas also denied during cross-examination that he had inflated the amount of cash he had on him when he drove from his Gunnedah home to Muswellbrook to “get on”.
He had told the jury that he had $4000-$5000 on him when he pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket to pay $2000 for the two “eight balls” of ice during the original buy.
He said he placed the rest of the cash back in his pocket. He said the “balls” were taken from his sock and cash from his pocket as he lay on the patio of a nearby house bleeding from the gunshot wound.
Mr Thomas’s partner Kaysie Eveleigh also told the jury of a conversation she had with Mr Thomas in hospital where he had identified Mr Bell as the shooter.
But she agreed during cross-examination that she had failed to tell detectives
about the positive identification.
The trial continues.