Joseph Dawson: Albury man pleads not guilty to discharging a firearm with intent to cause harm

An Albury man says he never thought about the consequences of bringing a loaded shotgun to a party after he “accidentally” shot his best mate in the face.

What was supposed to be a “boys night” allegedly ended with an Albury man in an induced coma after his best mate shot him in the face with a sawn-off, double-barrel shotgun, a court has heard.

Joseph Dawson appeared in Albury District Court on Monday after pleading not guilty to discharging a firearm with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

However, Dawson, 23 at the time, pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded firearm.

He is accused of shooting Luke Coughlin in the face on May 2, 2021.

Dawson, who was 23 at the time of the offence, appeared in court wearing a white button up shirt and his hair in a bun.

The court heard Dawson and several friends were at a private property when Dawson “accidentally” pointed a sawn-off, double-barrel shotgun to the cheek of friend Coughlan.

The bullet shot him in the jaw, leaving him in a coma for more than five days.

Dawson’s defence told the court his client was holding the gun, pointing down, when it came near the face of Coughlan and “involuntarily” fired at him.

Supplied Editorial Luke Coughlan.

The court heard Dawson and his friends were drunk when Dawson decided to show his friends a gun he had in his possession.

The defence said it was a “natural” action for people to hold a gun by the trigger when showing it to people, and that firing the gun was a “spontaneous, unintended reflex action”.

The Crown said Coughlan did not place the gun in his mouth and Dawson pointed a cocked, loaded gun at his friend while he was sitting and Dawson was standing.

The court heard Dawson could have been acting in an “attention seeking way” and that he sent a Snapchat message to him saying: “Bruh I’m so sorry, I never meant for that”.

Dawson’s immediate reaction was to tell his friends to lie to the police and hide the firearm.

The Crown said friends of Dawson initially lied to police about the circumstances of how Coughlan was shot.

Dawson’s defence said he “simply, regrettably never thought about the consequences of bringing out a firearm that day”.

Judge Sean Grant will sentence him at a later date.