Joshua Wright set to be sentenced for the fatal shooting of housemate John Simpson at Laguna

A court has heard that a man who brutally shot his housemate before dumping his body in a shallow grave on their Hunter rental property was angry after a dog dispute.

Police on the property on Great North Rd, Laguna on July 18, 2023 conducting a search as part of their investigation into the murder of John Simpson. Picture: Dan Proudman.

A man who brutally shot his housemate before dumping his body in a shallow grave on their remote Hunter Valley rental property was angry because he thought he had something to do with his beloved dogs being seized, a court has heard.

Joshua David Wright – also known as ‘Bob’ – has pleaded guilty to murdering John Simpson on April 13, 2023 when he shot him twice at his Laguna property.

The now 35-year-old also pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm – relating to a .223 calibre rifle stolen from a Rothbury winery in 2018.

At his sentence hearing in Sydney’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, it was heard Wright went to confront the 42-year-old farm worker in the shed on the property after his rottweilers had been seized by the RSPCA following a complaint over their condition.

It was then that Mr Simpson was fatally shot by Wright before his body was moved into a shallow grave nearby.

John Simpson, who was shot dead by Joshua Wright. Picture: NSW Police.

Joshua Wright was extradited from Victoria and charged with murder. Picture: NSW Police

A search was prompted by Strike Force Blakely detectives after Mr Simpson was reported missing before they made the gruesome find more than a month later.

Wright was extradited from Victoria three months later and charged with murder.

While Wright has admitted to delivering the shots that killed Mr Simpson, he is disputing that he went to fetch the rifle from the house and that Mr Simpson had the rifle when Wright arrived at the shed.

John Simpson. Picture: NSW Police.

Another housemate, who was working as an apprentice for Mr Simpson, gave evidence on Tuesday that Mr Simpson and Wright had a “rocky” relationship.

He said on the day of the shooting, Wright was angry after he heard what had happened to his dogs and believed Mr Simpson had something to do with it.

He told the court that shortly after Mr Simpson had arrived home, Wright went to the cupboard in the kitchen where there was a black case with guns inside before he headed outside to the shed and heard two shots ring out.

He said Wright then came back to the house and said something along the lines of “I finally did it”.

Defence barrister Peter Krisenthal quizzed him about his motive to lie when he told police Mr Simpson had walked away from the property.

Mr Krisenthal asked the housemate whether he had told multiple lies to protect himself from having any involvement in the death, to which the housemate replied, “I was scared” and that he gave an “induced” statement to police about what had actually happened.

He suggested the housemate had been taking ice that day, playing video games and the volume was up and that he had not, in fact, heard the cupboard door open, which he claimed Wright had done to retrieve a gun.

“I heard it, you could see him there,” the housemate told the court.

SES volunteers search bushland around Laguna for John Simpson in May 2023. Picture: NBN News.

Mr Krisenthal also told the court that Wright had given Mr Simpson some money to feed the dogs but that they weren’t fed for some time.

A “distant” friend of Wright’s also gave evidence about their interaction two weeks after the shooting, when Mr Simpson was still missing.

He said Wright had arrived at his mother’s home at Ellalong and stayed for about two nights.

He remember he seemed a “bit troubled” and said that he had “f--ked up” after having a disagreement with Mr Simpson surrounding his dogs and giving him money to feed them.

“I picked up my gun and boom boom and it was all over,” he told the court Wright had said to him.

He also said he didn’t know what to do and feared his family may be in trouble if he had spoken up before finally reporting it to police.

The sentence hearing continues.

Originally published as Joshua Wright set to be sentenced for the fatal shooting of housemate John Simpson at Laguna