A man who sparked a 12-day police search pleaded guilty yesterday to shooting a 46-year-old father in front of his six-year-old son.
Paul Douglas Warmsley, 35, of St Leonards Rd, pleaded guilty in the Launceston Supreme Court yesterday to negligently causing grievous bodily harm.
He also pleaded guilty to aggravated armed robbery and two counts of armed robbery.
Warmsley entered Blair's Supermarket at Ravenswood on February 19, 2004, and demanded money while armed with a .22 rifle.
He fled with $730, several packets of Winfield cigarettes and $50 of phone cards.
Crown prosecutor John Ransom said that Warmsley climbed a back fence after fleeing the supermarket and entered the 46-year-old man's home.
He pointed the gun at the man and threatened to kill him if he did not hand over his keys and money.
Warmsley pushed the father outside to his car but the vehicle was not working.
"I fell down on the path and he told me to stand up and he immediately shot me in the stomach and ran off," Mr Ransom read from the man's police statement.
The man's six-year-old son saw the shooting through a window and ran outside to help.
The man made it back inside, where he called his ex- wife's mother and told her that he had been shot. His son then ran to neighbours to call for help.
The Crown accepted that Warmsley did not intend to shoot the man but was culpably negligent because the gun fired accidentally.
Mr Ransom said that the victim and his son both suffered significant psychological effects including post- traumatic stress disorder.
He said that the son suffered nightmares, avoided going outside to play and had become hyper-vigilant about checking locks.
The shooting sparked a massive manhunt with police stopping and searching cars at Ravenswood.
A woman who allegedly aided Warmsley to avoid arrest told police that he said he would "take a few out" if he was caught and then shoot himself.
On March 1, Warmsley was driven to Kings Meadows, where he approached a woman at the McHugh St Community Health Centre and demanded her car.
He allowed the woman to remove work items from the Commodore station wagon before driving away. The car was crashed at Blessington.
Warmsley was arrested at Trevallyn after a number of reports of a man trying to break into cars.
He told Det-Sgt Rob King, of Launceston CIB, that he needed money and did not mean to shoot the man.
Mr Ransom said that Warmsley had an appalling record for crimes of dishonesty and violence including aggravated robbery, armed robbery and rape.
Mr Ransom asked the court to order a psychiatric report that would be used in considering whether a dangerous criminal declaration should be pursued.
A dangerous criminal declaration would result in Warmsley being jailed indefinitely.
Justice Ewan Crawford ordered the report and remanded Warmsley in custody to reappear on November 28 at 4pm.
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