Mother-of-five shot in chest in Glenroy home

LATEST: THE husband of a mum-of-five shot in the chest last night in Glenroy has issued an emotional warning to the gunman responsible as she fights for life in hospital.

Paul Shapiro

2 min read

March 3, 2017 - 4:39PM

Woman shot at her home in Melbourne's Glenroy

THE husband of a mum-of-five shot in the chest last night has issued an emotional warning to the gunman responsible as she fights for life in hospital.

Steve Phillips said Leonie Stuart was still on life support after being shot in the chest at the family’s Glenroy home.

“I haven’t slept yet, this wears you out,” he told the Herald Sun as he returned to the Hubert St home this afternoon.

“Whoever did this better pray they don’t get caught because they’ll be history.”

Ms Stuart’s son Rodney Phillips, 25, is awaiting sentence for shooting a police officer in the face and trying to firebomb the family of underworld figure Carl Williams in 2015.

Steve Phillips arrives back at the house in Glenroy. Picture: Paul Shapiro

Leonie Stuart. Picture: Facebook

Police were called to the home just before midnight after reports a woman had been shot.

Distraught family members arrived at the home about 6.30am.

Her sons said they were upset over the incident, but still had very little details about the attack.

Mr Phillips said the family was praying that Ms Stuart would pull through.

“All my sons are pretty upset,” he said,

“We’ll just look into all the alternatives and all the leads.”

One son said this morning: “It’s very surreal, very surreal. I’m still lost for emotions and lost for words.”

Long-time neighbour Irene Chatfield describing hearing “one really loud gunshot, it was a loud massive bang”.

She said she saw a large black bike “just stop in middle of the street and then drive off, it was really loud like a bikie’s bike”.

“I didn’t think a gun was that loud,” she added.

Ms Chatfield said one of Ms Stuart’s sons was married with children.

“I can’t believe anyone in the world would want to shoot Leonie,” she said.

“She’s not on drugs, she sticks by her kids.

“I’m surprised this happened, never ever would I expect this too happen to Leonie, she loves people, helps as many people as she can and loves animals.

“We chatted over ice cream last Wednesday and a week later she’s critical in hospital, this is a crazy mixed up world.”

3AW reported the sons and the woman’s partner had told waiting media they were not home when the incident happened.

“I’ve been out on the road all night on the truck,” the woman’s partner said.

Ms Stuart’s partner is restrained as he speaks to a police officer. Picture: Hamish Blair

Police speak with Ms Stuart’s partner outside the home. Picture: Hamish Blair

Ms Stuart’s partner speaks to waiting media. Picture: Hamish Blair

One of the victim's sons described the shooting as “surreal”. Picture: Hamish Blair

Corey, Quentin, Jamie and Shannon Phillips, sons of Leonie Stuart. Picture: Facebook

Another person at the scene said it was a “crap situation” for the family.

Neighbours who have lived in street for 32 years, Mark and Margaret Sampson, said they felt shaken.

“You feel like it could happen to you, you don’t want to walk out on street after something like this happens because you might be shot at,” they told the Herald Sun.

One neighbour said: “She’s just a mother who’s devoted her life to her sons. I feel shaken up for her.”

Another added: “I feel concerned because I have a family of young children”

Rodney Phillps and another man, Sam Liszczak, 23, of Morwell, are in custody awaiting sentence over the shooting of Constable Ben Ashmole, who was lucky he was wasn’t killed when he was hit at point-blank range.

He and his partner had cornered the pair in a car park in Moonee Ponds, after they tried to attack the home of Roberta Williams in 2015.

They had already blasted the home of Carl Williams’s father George with a shotgun.

If you have information please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.