A Northland builder has been found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after shooting his former boss in a fit of jealousy.
However, the jury found Alan Joseph Place, 60, of Maungaturoto, not guilty on four charges of unlawfully possessing firearms.
The jurors deliberated about two-and-a-half hours at the Whangarei District Court yesterday.
The charges related to an incident on July 30, 2008, when Place drove to the home of Bryce Underwood in Maungaturoto and shot him in the leg through a glass door.
Crown prosecutor Alice Hyndman, in her closing address, said the key issue was Place's intention to cause grievous bodily harm when he fired a shot at Mr Underwood through the door.
She said Place had been thinking about his former partner's relationship with Mr Underwood after finding them in bed together in March 2008.
In his police statement, Place mentioned that he could not stand seeing the two in bed - and added he "should have shot them both".
Place did not normally carry a gun and his intention was clear when he said "this is going to hurt" before firing the shot, Ms Hyndman said.
Perhaps Place did not mean to kill Mr Underwood, she said, but shooting someone in the lower body did show an intention to cause grievous bodily harm.
Ms Hyndman noted Place did not call for medical help after the shooting.
Defence lawyer Arthur Fairley said the Crown's allegation that his client had guns for unlawful, improper and insufficient purposes was false.
Place had inherited some of the firearms from his father and an uncle, and had used them for killing sheep and pigs.
In her evidence, Place's former partner of eight years said the guns were stored safely and did not pose a risk to anyone, Mr Fairley said.
One gun was inoperative, another was 100 years old - while the remaining three were from 1930s through to the 1960s, he said.
Place's intention, as contained in his police statement, when he fired the shot at Mr Underwood was clear - he wanted to "scare the s**t out of him", rather than to kill.
"If you accept that, end of story," he told the jury.
On a charge of reckless disregard for the safety of others, Mr Fairley pointed to Place's police statement where he was asked whether he considered what the chances were he would hurt Mr Underwood when firing the shot.
Place replied he did not even think about it.
Place was remanded in custody to be sentenced on October 25.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE
Builder shot former boss in fit of jealousy
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