Qld shooting part of failed extortion bid
A shooting at a busy Gold Coast car park was part of a botched extortion attempt that has landed a Queensland man in jail for seven and a half years.
Chase John Haskell was sentenced in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to a string of charges.
The court heard Haskell had arranged to return a stolen car to its owner in exchange for money but things went awry when he arrived at the meeting on October 19, 2012 to find the owner with three other men, one of whom was armed with a knife.
The 25-year-old Haskell yelled and fired a warning shot into the ground. It ricocheted and grazed one of the men on his hip and hand.
Haskell fired another shot into the air before fleeing in the stolen car, Crown prosecutor Michael Copley said.
He was arrested more than two months later and found with illicit drugs, a large amount of cash, jewellery, electronic goods, several weapons and other prohibited items.
Haskell pleaded guilty to charges including drug trafficking and possession, weapons possession, going armed to cause fear, dangerous conduct with a weapon, assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, dangerous operation and unlawful use of a vehicle, and assaulting police.
Mr Copley said Haskell's "lawless behaviour" at the Molendinar shopping centre car park indicated a "disregard for others", while defence barrister Mal Harrison said it was the behaviour of a drug addict out of control.
Haskell has already served 10 months behind bars and will be eligible for parole in December next year.
