A MAN is set to stand trial accused of popping up from behind a wall armed with a rifle and almost killing Scott Papworth by shooting him outside his Aberglasslyn home.
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Dylan Gee fronted Newcastle Local Court from custody on Wednesday when he denied wielding an unauthorised gun and firing at Mr Papworth as he was being bashed by other men in March, 2021.
"Not guilty," Gee said after each allegation was read to him.
Magistrate Janine Lacy committed his matter to Newcastle District Court for a trial to be held.
"No worries, thanks Your Honour," Gee said.
He will face the district court for the first time next month, where he will formally enter pleas and find out his trial date.
The police case is that two men were bashing Mr Papworth outside his Golden Whistler Avenue home in the Hunter Valley about 9.40pm on March 9, 2021, when Gee allegedly appeared armed with a black rifle and shot Mr Papworth in the stomach.
The bullet shattered in Mr Papworth's abdomen and nearly killed him.
Detectives homed in on Gee last year after a public appeal for information and the release of CCTV images in January, 2022.
The alleged gunman's arrest came after two other men, Jak Farmer and Dane Simms, were charged with punching and kicking Mr Papworth in the driveway of his home that night.
Both pleaded guilty to their involvement, and were sentenced in Newcastle District Court last year to time served on charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company; and concealing a serious indictable offence.
Farmer and Simms had no idea Mr Papworth was going to be shot, but after they fled in a Magna, which was later found on fire in Telarah, they concealed the identity of the gunman from investigating police.
The Newcastle Herald earlier revealed that Farmer and Simms, and the alleged shooter, had targeted Mr Papworth in connection to a drug debt after a conversation at a Rutherford pub earlier that evening.
Farmer was behind the wheel of a car with Simms, and another man that police allege was Gee, as passengers, when he drove to Mr Papworth's house and a fight broke out before a gun was fired.
Gee has pleaded not guilty to discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH); causing GBH with intent; assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) in company; and another count of assault causing ABH.
One charge of possessing an unauthorised rifle is expected to be dealt with as a further alleged offence.
Gee remains behind bars, and made no application for bail.
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Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
