Liam Thomas Ransley pointed a 9mm handgun at a teenager’s face in a CBD car park

A balaclava-clad man who pulled a gun on a teenager in the car park of a popular Launceston store admitted to police he had been on a “drug bender”, and had no recollection of the incident.

A BALACLAVA clad man who pointed a 9mm handgun at the face of another man in a CBD car park will spend at least four months in prison, on top of time he is already serving for other crimes.

Liam Thomas Ransley, 21, previously pleaded guilty to aggravated assault over the incident in October last year and was sentenced by Justice Robert Pearce in the Supreme Court in Launceston.

Justice Pearce said the complainant, a 19-year-old man, was in the “Birchalls car park” in Launceston talking with friends at 7pm on Tuesday, October 22, 2019, and Ransley was the passenger in another car.

The car Ransley was in pulled up near the group.

The complainant was warned Ransley was coming and got in his car in an attempt to leave.

Ransley walked over and pointed the gun at the man’s face while another man began punching the victim’s passenger side.

The man reversed his car and drove away.

Ransley had no memory of the incident, telling police that he had been on a drug bender.

Justice Pearce said Ransley later told police he had “no memory” of the incident because he was on a “drug bender”.

Justice Pearce said Ransley had some insight into his offending and it was in his favour that he pleaded guilty.

He said “little lenience can be given to someone who uses a hand gun to threaten members of the community” while under the influence of heavy drugs.

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Justice Pearce said Ransley had a history of drug use and criminal offending and used drugs to deal with “stress and turmoil”.

On January 28 this year a Magistrate sentenced Ransley to two-and-a-half years imprisonment for new offences with a non parole period until February 2021.

Justice Pearce yesterday convicted Ransley over the aggravated assault and sentenced him to a further 12 months imprisonment.

He said Ransley would have to spend at least four months longer than his previous sentence behind bars.