Judge condemns 'Chicago-style' shooting

A Chicago-style shooting in central Christchurch resulted in a teenager being jailed for three years and four months yesterday.

Sentencing 18-year-old Jacob Oscar Murray in Christchurch District Court, Judge Brian Callaghan said his actions were "reminiscent of the gangs that paraded through the streets of Chicago in the 1930s", the Christchurch Court News website reported.

The judge said the discharge of the gun in the central city had posed considerable risk to the occupants of the car he blasted in an alcohol-fuelled state early on July 20 last year.

Murray had admitted reckless discharge of the gun, unlawful possession of the weapon, and burglary.

An alleged co-offender - said to be the driver of the car Murray was in - has pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with the incident and is to stand trial.

Crown prosecutor Marcus Zintl said Murray broke into a shipping container on a property at Dunsandel on July 15 last year. Firearms were taken from the container and stashed at a property in Rolleston.

Murray and another youth were driving in the city on July 20 when the occupants of a BMW car threw bottles at Murray's car, smashing the back passenger window.

Murray then went to Rolleston where he picked up the shotgun and ammunition.

At 12.45am next morning, he was back in the city where there was an altercation with the occupants of another car.

Murray poked the shotgun barrel out towards them. The other car dropped back but the occupants called police and continued to follow Murray's vehicle.

In Salisbury Street, the driver turned the vehicle Murray was in and stopped so that Murray could aim the shotgun and fire it into the front of the following car.

The blast smashed the windscreen, peppered the bonnet, and punctured the radiator.

Judge Callaghan noted that Murray told police he fired the shot because was "psychotic and trigger-happy".

Murray had thanked police for arresting him saying "if I had found that Beamer (BMW) I would have killed them".

- NZPA