Tyla Piggott and Erron Byles have admitted their roles in a Taranaki shooting. Photo / Tara Shaskey
With a taste for retribution and a loaded semi-automatic rifle at the ready, Erron Byles and his then girlfriend Tyla Piggott shadowed their victim until he was cornered.
Piggott then rammed the man's vehicle with her own before Byles fired a flurry of shots in the direction of his head.
One of the bullets narrowly missed the victim as it passed through his driver's headrest and struck the door pillar.
His car was hit again as he fled while several other shots sprayed the surrounds of Whalers Rise, in New Plymouth, including a residential property.
The July 20 shooting last year was the culmination of increasing tensions between players of the Taranaki criminal underworld and the victim.
CCTV footage, a police recording and the firearm used in the crime identified Byles, 42, and Piggott, 24, as two of those players and they were subsequently charged with attempted murder.
The pair, who each also faced a charge of commission of a crime with a firearm and two of unlawful possession of a firearm, were scheduled to stand trial in the High Court at New Plymouth on Monday.
But the matter was adjourned and on Tuesday they appeared before Justice Cheryl Gwyn to enter guilty pleas to amended charges.
Byles admitted discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm while Piggott pleaded guilty to being a party to the discharge of a firearm with reckless disregard.
It is understood the pair are no longer in a relationship and Piggott is now expecting a child. They were kept apart for the duration of the short hearing.
According to the Crown summary of facts, in the lead-up to the shooting there were increasing tensions related to money owed, standover taxing, burglaries and taking of vehicles committed by the victim and others, who were known to carry firearms.
Byles believed the victim, who he previously socialised with, had threatened to kill him and Piggott.
Around 2am on the morning of the shooting, he armed himself with a silenced .22 semi-automatic rifle, loaded with a magazine of ammunition, and hopped into the passenger seat of a vehicle being driven by Piggott.
The pair spotted the victim driving a stolen Mazda and Byles directed Piggott to follow him.
When the victim drove into a cul-de-sac, Piggott attempted to block him in before ramming his vehicle with her own.
Byles got out of the car, raised his gun and discharged a number of shots.
The summary stated Byles believed the victim was armed and he feared being shot himself.
When Byles then pointed his firearm at the victim, the victim reversed at speed into the vehicle being driven by Piggott.
He then made his getaway as Byles fired several shots in his direction.
Two struck the vehicle and one struck a nearby house but it is unknown where the remaining rounds landed.
In total, police located nine spent .22 shell cases in the area.
The investigation also uncovered CCTV footage capturing Byles shooting at the victim, the victim's abandoned vehicle which contained an unfired .22 round, and the rifle used in the shooting at Byles and Piggott's address.
The former couple had also been recorded by police discussing the event.
In the recording, Byles said he shot the victim and had been aiming for his head.
While the victim had "rammed them", he did not believe the victim wanted to shoot them, Byles is captured saying.
Though following his arrest, he told police he had fired in self-defence as the victim had shot at him first.
It appears the two men have since agreed to let bygones be bygones as according to the summary, Byles and the victim are now "back on friendly terms".
Back in court, Justice Gwyn entered convictions on the admitted charges and withdrew the remaining.
She referred the matter to restorative justice and remanded Byles back into custody.
Piggott was bailed ahead of the pair's sentencing on November 4.