Brandon John Richards in court for dangerous conduct with gun

A Gympie meth addict has been jailed over a shocking road rage incident during which he fired a revolver several times in a suburban street, hitting a car and narrowly missing the head of a bystander.

A man has been jailed over a shocking road rage incident during which he fired a revolver several times in a quiet Gympie street, hitting a car and narrowly missing a bystander.

A man has been jailed over a morning road rage incident in which he pulled a handgun and fired several shots into the wheel of another vehicle, narrowly missing an innocent bystander.

Brandon John Richards, 29, pleaded guilty to 15 charges related not only that incident, but several others across a two-month period from September 23, 2022 to November 24, 2022.

A Gympie Magistrates Court heard on Friday the most serious incident occurred about 8.50am at Pine St on November 18, 2022.

Magistrate Raelene Ellis said Richards had not instigated the road rage incident but as it unfolded he “produced a firearm and discharged about five rounds into the front wheel” of the other vehicle.

Another bullet struck a nearby shed.

The court was told one witness said they felt one of the bullets as it “whizzed past in close proximity to their head”.

Another witness reported seeing Richards point a silver revolver out his car window yelling “say f---g sorry” before firing.

He then left the scene.

One witnesses to the incident in which Brandon John Richards pulled out a gun and fired several shots during a road rage stoush, said they felt a bullet as it “whizzed past” their head before hitting a nearby shed.

Ms Ellis told Richards we would have been much better of if he had not been driving around with the gun in his car.

“If you hadn’t been carrying the weapon in the first place then the incident could not have played out the way it did,” she said.

She said it was “good luck … the consequences were not more severe than they were”.

The other charges related to multiple driving offences which Richards’ lawyer told the court “the less said (about them) the better”, and being caught in possession of 0.2g of methamphetamine and a set of stolen golf clubs worth $2000.

The court heard Richards had been battling a “very serious” drug problem and worked casually.

He had been “getting by” of late by buying and selling motor vehicles.

Richards pleaded guilty to charges including dangerous conduct with a weapon, unlawful possession of a weapon, wilful damage, possessing ammunition, stealing, possessing dangerous drugs, four counts of driving while disqualified by a court order, and evading police.

The court heard Brandon John Richards’ criminal history included entries for weapons offences, riot, mutiny, and an 11-page traffic history with 10 counts of disqualified driving, six counts of unlicensed driving, and three counts of evading police.

His sentence was not helped by a criminal history which included entries for weapons offences, riot and mutiny, and an entry in 2019 at Maroochydore for going armed as to cause fear.

Ms Ellis said it was also “littered” with drug and dishonesty offences.

His traffic history was far from fantastic too.

It ran to 11 pages in length and, since 2017, included 10 counts of disqualified diving, six counts of unlicensed driving, and three counts of evading police.

Richards was sentenced to two years’ jail, with 256 days declared as time already served.

He was stripped of his driver’s licence for two years and will be eligible for parole on May 23, 2024.

Originally published as Brandon John Richards in court for dangerous conduct with gun