Ishmail Sozmen jailed for threatening to shoot people in Bannockburn

A former soldier who threatened to shoot a woman with a handgun has been jailed for his terrifying day of offending.

Ishmail Sozmen.

A former soldier who threatened to shoot a woman with a handgun in Bannockburn has been jailed for his terrifying day of offending.

Ishmail Sozmen, 39, was jailed for three years and five months in the Country Court on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, unlawful assault and dangerous driving earlier in November.

Judge Peter Wischusen described the offending as “very serious”.

“A prohibited person using a handgun…particularly in the way it was used in the Bannockburn residence, must have caused terror to the victims,” Judge Wischusen said.

Judge Wischusen said Sozmen’s dangerous driving was also a serious example of the offence which endangered other drivers.

Sozmen, of Dandenong South, was briefly in the Turkish Army for 15 months from 2004-2005 and the court heard he was subjected to rough treatment, physical abuse and other traumatic experiences.

Just before 1pm on October 15, 2021, Sozmen walked into a Bannockburn petrol station with a handgun tucked into his pants.

Ishmail Sozmen

A witness hid behind the service station when he saw Sozmen.

Sozmen saw the man as he was leaving and said “what the f--- are you doing here on your own”.

The court heard Sozmen appeared to be “enraged”, and in fear of being shot, the witness said “mate, I’ve got a family, I’m just in the wrong place at the wrong time”.

After leaving the scene Sozmen went to an address in Bannockburn where he had been earlier that morning.

A woman asked Sozmen what he was doing outside her home and told him there were children inside.

Sozmen got out of his car, pulled the firearm out from his pants, pointed it at the woman’s sister and yelled “I will f------ shoot you, you dog”.

He then walked to the window of the home, opened it up, and stole a streaming service remote before leaving the scene in his car.

As he drove away, a police car which was in the area started following Sozmen.

Sozmen then sped off on the Midland Highway after he saw he was being followed.

The court heard Sozmen was driving 135 km/h in a 100 km/h zone, and during the pursuit he overtook other vehicles and disobeyed traffic lights during heavy rain.

Sozmen continued to drive, despite stop sticks ruining his tires, and eventually came to a stop.

In desperation Sozmen entered a home on Torquay Rd in Grovedale.

The resident, who was home at the time, went outside and waved police down.

Sozmen was arrested and taken to the police station.

A search of his car revealed that he was in possession of methamphetamine, a number of banking credit cards which did not belong to him and a knife.

Judge Wischusen said if it wasn’t for his plea of guilty, he would have jailed Sozmen for six years.

Sozmen will be eligible for parole after he has served two years and three months in jail.

Originally published as Ishmail Sozmen jailed for threatening to shoot people in Bannockburn