Wayne William Howlett jailed for shooting at Pablos Cocktails and Dreams nightclub

It was a matter of “pure luck” that no one was injured or killed when a man fired 25 bullets into the door of a Hobart nightclub, a judge has said.

Hobart power lifter Wayne Howlett has been jailed over the nightclub shooting.

IT was “pure luck” that no one was injured or killed when a man fired 25 bullets into the door of a Hobart nightclub, a Supreme Court judge has said.

Justice Michael Brett on Thursday sentenced Wayne William Howlett, 38, of Glenorchy, to five years’ jail for recklessly discharging a firearm and unlawfully damaging property at Pablo’s Cocktails and Dreams bar in Hobart’s city centre on June 24 last year.

Justice Brett said while Howlett’s actions directly affected the 30 people who were at the nightclub at the time of the shooting, he also caused “widespread fear and distress in the community”.

“You brought dangerous gun violence to an otherwise safe and peaceful city,” Justice Brett said.

He said the fact that no one was injured or killed was “a matter of pure luck”.

The Supreme Court in Hobart heard Howlett had been drinking and taking illicit drugs on the night of June 23 and had exchanged text messages with a friend that Justice Brett said suggested Howlett harboured a “festering resentment” towards the Pablo’s manager.

He said Howlett’s actions were “motivated by your desire to retaliate against the manager of the nightclub for a perceived slight arising from his comments the night before”.

Wayne Howlett will spend at least three years behind bars over the shooting at Pablo’s.

Justice Brett said Howlett and another man, who has never been identified, were dropped off by a taxi a short distance from Pablo’s at 12.02am.

He said Howlett went to the Pablo’s entrance and immediately fired 25 bullets into the door using a semiautomatic, military grade weapon before he and his companion fled. Police arrested Howlett four days later.

The court heard the bar had closed just moments before Howlett, who was also carrying 143 rounds of spare ammunition, fired the shots.

Justice Brett said several people were inside the nightclub and others were in an outdoor area.

“You could have had absolutely no way of knowing whether somebody was on the other side of that door when you commenced to fire,” Justice Brett said.

He said there were 19 bullet impacts on the outer surface of the nightclub door — which was lined with steel on both sides — and he said bullets passed through and perforated the door.

Justice Brett said a female patron suffered a graze to her leg from what he inferred was a bullet fragment.

Bullet holes in the door of Pablo's Cocktails and Dreams. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Howlett previously claimed he had no recollection of the shooting.

“As I understand your position now, you accept that this attack was your idea,” Justice Brett said.

Justice Brett said Howlett had already paid compensation to the nightclub owner for the damage he caused.

He said Howlett had a difficult childhood and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a teenager.

The court heard Howlett enjoyed success as a powerlifter but had been unable to compete after a significant injury in 2017.

Justice Brett said this led to Howlett relapsing into illicit drug use.

Howlett had previously pleaded guilty to recklessly discharging a firearm and unlawfully damaging property and three related charges.

He was sentenced to five years’ jail, backdated to June 28 last year, with a non-parole period of three years.

UPDATED 4.50PM: Justice Michael Brett has delivered a scathing assessment of Pablo’s shooter Wayne Howlett as he sentenced him to five years jail this afternoon.

“You have not acted in a way that demonstrates genuine remorse,” Justice Brett said during the sentencing hearing.

“You did not give yourself up to police to allay community concerns or explain why you had extra ammunition.

“Your crime was towards the highest end of the scale of objective seriousness. You brought dangerous gun violence to an otherwise safe and peaceful city.

“The entire community was affected by your crime — by your actions of introducing firearm violence into the Hobart CBD.

“I accept you now wish you had not carried out this act and sabotaged the fruit of your good work you’ve done in recent years.”

Howlett will not be eligible for parole until after three years.

EARLIER 4.40PM: Pablo’s shooter Wayne Howlett has been sentenced to five years in prison.

He will not be eligible for parole until after three years.

Justice Michael Brett said Howlett had not “demonstrated genuine remorse” as he handed down the sentence in the Supreme Court this afternoon.

EARLIER 4.30PM: Justice Brett says Howlett has now accepted he was the mastermind of the shooting.

“You have now accepted that this attack was your idea and you made a deliberate decision to take the weapon and fire at the door of the nightclub,” Justice Brett told the Supreme Court.

“You have significant criminal history starting from age 17. You spent most of the time from 2000 to 2005 in prison for a number of crimes.

“You were in the severe grip of drug addiction at the time of this crime.”

Justice Brett is continuing to outline the details of the crime and its background before handing down his sentence.

EARLIER 4.15PM: Justice Michael Brett has begun delivering his sentence for Pablo’s shooter Wayne Howlett.

He is outlining the details of the crime and said it was clear Howlett had a “festering resentment” with the manager of Pablo’s.

“There’s no doubt in my mind you would have been aware of the presence of people in the nightclub,” Justice Brett said.

“The risk of serious injury or death to the occupants was extremely high.”

Howlett is sitting at a table listening to Justice Brett with his head bowed.

EARLIER 4PM: Wayne Howlett is on the stand in the Supreme Court awaiting sentencing for a late night shooting at Pablo’s nightclub in Hobart last year.

He is appearing via video link from Risdon Prison wearing a prison-issued orange shirt and red track pants.

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Linda Mason is in the courtroom.

EARLIER 3.50PM: Family and friends of Wayne Howlett have begun gathering in the foyer of the Supreme Court waiting to enter court 8 for his sentencing.

Justice Michael Brett is due to sentence Howlett for shooting-up Pablo’s nightclub last year at 4pm today.

EARLIER 3.30PM: The sentencing of Wayne William Howlett, the man behind the late night shooting terror at Pablo’s nightclub last year is less than an hour away.

Howlett, 38, has pleaded guilty to recklessly discharging a firearm and unlawfully damaging property at Pablo’s Cocktails and Dreams in Hobart CBD on June 24, 2018.

EARLIER: A Glenorchy man behind the late night shooting-up of a Hobart nightclub last year is set to be sentenced in the Supreme Court this afternoon.

Wayne William Howlett, 38, has pleaded guilty to recklessly discharging a firearm and unlawfully damaging property.

The Supreme Court in Hobart previously heard the shooting at Pablo’s Cocktails and Dreams in Harrington Lane on June 24 last year was done with a self-loading SKS assault rifle fitted with a bayonet.

MORE OF TODAY’S NEWS

HICKEY HIGHLIGHTS PUBLIC HOUSING SHAME

THE $39 PARKING TICKET THAT COULD COST MORE THAN $2600

PROSECUTORS WANT ROBBER DECLARED DANGEROUS

STAR STUDENTS: ST MARY’S COLLEGE

A firearm was discharged into Pablo's Cocktails and Dreams on Harrington Lane on June 24 last year. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Linda Mason said the firearm and seven boxes of ammunition were found by police soon after in a garden bed outside a property in Bathurst St. Ms Mason said the rifle was prohibited in Tasmania.

She told the court there were about 30 people inside the nightclub when a volley of 25 bullets “perforated” the steel and timber door.

The court heard earlier this month that an alleged motive arose in the hours before the shooting through text messages between Howlett and another man.

Ms Mason said Mr Howlett had suggested Pablo’s manager Andrew Corney was not happy with him, and he in turn was unhappy about this and was venting to the man he was texting, and that man tried to placate him.

The nightclub became a crime scene after the late-night shooting. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

The court heard at 6.45pm on the night of the shooting, Howlett sent a message to the man asking him to “have a word please [to Mr Corney] because I’m debating what measures to take.”

Defence lawyer Greg Richardson said Howlett, who is well known in the community as a champion power lifter, had shown he had taken responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty.

He said his client had told him he had been drinking and using cocaine in the lead-up to the crime and he was intoxicated to the point where his memory was “sketchy”.

Justice Michael Brett is set to sentence Howlett at 4pm.