A PAXTON man who became embroiled in a plot to recoup a drug debt owed to his sister's boyfriend ended up shooting a man in the arm on a remote property on the mid-north coast.
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Darcy Morgan and his sister Tessa Morgan appeared in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday via audio visual link from jail and pleaded guilty to their roles in the shooting at Seven Oaks on Australia Day last year.
Darcy, who is represented by solicitor Chris Bennett, pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, while Tessa, represented by solicitor Matthew Unwin, admitted to being an accessory after the fact to the shooting.
The pair remain behind bars and will next appear in court next month to get a sentence date.
The victim was using methamphetamine and as of January 23 last year had accrued a debt of $1900 owed to Tessa's boyfriend, Mathew Llewellyn, according to an agreed statement of facts.
Llewellyn had threatened the victim over the phone, telling him: "I am going to come and spray your house with bullets" and "keep your missus and your kid in the back room".
And at about 9.20pm on January 26, Darcy and Llewellyn left a home on the mid-north coast with a plan to recoup the drug debt by threatening the victim while armed with weapons.
Llewellyn took a metal pole, while Darcy had a loaded rifle, according to court documents.
They drove to the remote property at Seven Oaks in separate cars, Darcy driving a black Subaru WRX with altered number plates.
When they got there, the victim came outside and Llewellyn threatened him with the metal bar and again said he would "spray the house with bullets".
The victim shone a torch in his eyes and told him to leave and Llewellyn then drove off.
But Darcy remained where he was, sitting in his WRX.
The victim shone the torch at Darcy and told him to leave and Darcy replied: "If you touch my car, I will spray you up".
The victim went inside, but when he checked and the WRX was still sitting outside his property he went back out and said: "I thought I told you to f--- off".
Darcy then raised the rifle, pointed it at the victim and said "you gronk" before shooting him in the left arm.
He then fled while police and paramedics were being called.
The victim was taken to hospital where doctors discovered the bullet had fractured his humerus.
After the shooting, Tessa went to a friend's house at Cessnock and burned parts of the rifle used in the shooting in a backyard fire pit.
Llewellyn was in February jailed for a maximum of two years and three months, with a non-parole period of 15 months for charges relating to the armed confrontation before the shooting.
