Man who shot a gun near Kuirau Park market and playground jailed

Cody Fane appeared via audio-visual link to be sentenced. Photo / Stephen Parker

Shooting a sawn-off rifle near a playground and busy farmers' market has landed a gang member in prison.

Cody James Fane was sentenced in the Rotorua District Court yesterday to three years seven months in prison on a charge of discharging a firearm with reckless disregard or intent to injure, and two breach of bail charges.

His charges relate to an incident on April 22, 2017, when at 10am he was in Rotorua's Kuirau Park wearing black clothing with the Mangu Kaha gang patch on it.

The summary of facts said there were "hundreds of members of the public" attending the market at the time, including children.

While there, two members of the rival Mongrel Mob saw and approached Fane, as well as two other men who are still before the courts.

"Members of the public were concerned by developments and some yelled at all of the men to take their gang problems elsewhere," the summary said.

The Mongrel Mob members retreated to a vehicle on Kuirau St by a children's playground but Fane followed.

"Fane raised a sawn-off .22 rifle and fired a single shot through the rear passenger window of the BMW ... The direction of the shot was directly towards the Mongrel Mob member, who was at the same time reaching into the front passenger seat of the car."

The bullet smashed a window and became lodged in the front passenger seat headrest.

Fane ran from the scene and escaped in a vehicle.

The other two defendants have pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for their part in the events.

Judge Tony Snell sentenced Fane to three years and seven months' imprisonment on the unlawful discharge of a firearm charge, and four months on each of the two breach of bail charges, to be served concurrently.