Ziggy Brunskill, Georgia Rossiter: Key question in Norwood shooting

A young duo formerly in a relationship will be sentenced later this month in the Supreme Court for their role in the shooting of bullets into a terrified man’s house. But one key question remains.

A young Tasmanian duo found guilty by a jury of aggravated assault and recklessly discharging a firearm will learn their fate on October 24 – with a key, outstanding question especially relevant for one of the pair.

Longford man Ziggy Robert Brunskill, 28, and his ex-partner Georgia Rose Rossiter, 27, of Perth, were found guilty by a jury earlier this year of assisting a third person to pump bullets into a Norwood house on July 24 last year.

Three .22 calibre bullets were fired from a handgun, allegedly wielded by the third man, in total.

Two were in the direction of the resident, Zachary Sherriff, while one blew through the living room window.

The third man has pleaded not guilty to his charges, which are expected to go to trial later this year. Rossiter and Brunskill were found guilty on the basis of their “common purpose” with him – they did not actually fire the gun.

The court heard that while the third man was allegedly the principal offender, Rossiter was the one who had a grievance with one of the Norwood residents, a woman.

Rossiter knew about the third man’s alleged possession of the pistol for at least 60–90 minutes before the ultimate shooting, as Snapchat images were discovered on her phone of her wielding the gun.

However, the key issue for Justice Tamara Jago to determine in her sentence of Brunskill, who has been remanded in pre-sentence custody for 97 days, as at Friday, is what his knowledge of the weapon was.

Brunskill’s defence counsel Patrick O’Halloran told the court Brunskill was picked up from a shopping centre by Rossiter and the third man about half an hour before the shooting.

The alleged principal offender was sitting in the back seat, Mr O’Halloran told the court, and it was only in the moments before its discharge that Brunskill was aware of the gun’s existence.

He submitted that Justice Jago could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt otherwise.

Brunskill’s criminal responsibility was therefore lesser, Mr O’Halloran said.

He said his client, who has children with Rossiter, had performed well on a previous drug treatment order imposed a month before his arrest for the current offending.

Perth woman Georgia Rose Rossiter, 27, with Longford man Ziggy Robert Brunskill, 28. Picture: Facebook

Mr O’Halloran admitted it was only a small silver lining, in light of the additional offending.

Rossiter, meanwhile, was midway through an existing six-month home detention order imposed for an unrelated matter.

She was performing well on the order and had kicked her substance abuse issues, the court was told.

Rossiter, who was affected by alcohol and MDMA at the time of the offending, spent three days remanded in pre-sentence custody in the wake of the shooting, the court was told.

The shooting had a terrible effect on the victim, Crown prosecutor Peter Sherriff (no relation Mr Sherriff, the victim) told the court.

“He found that confronting and had anxiety in relation to that incident,” Mr Sherriff said.

“He felt unsafe in the house he was living in and chose to move from that property.”

The duo will learn their fate on October 24.