A man woke early one morning to find two men inside his Ballarat East home with shotguns, who later fired shots at the ceiling and front window.
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The man recalled the October 11 incident at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Wednesday, where a committal hearing started for two men accused of using a firearm to intimidate witnesses in a trial.
Travis Scott, 32, and Jake Quinton, 20, have been charged with 10 offences relating to the incident, including being a prohibited person who used a firearm, attempt to pervert the course of justice, aggravated burglary, recklessly causing injury and harass witnesses.
The witness told the court he woke sometime between 6am and 7am to find two men inside his home with shotguns. He grabbed his dog before waking his friend who was asleep in the lounge room.
Two men started wrestling in the lounge room and a shot was fired into the ceiling, the witness told the court. He said one of the men argued with his friend to give his shotgun back.
“They left and a shot came through the front window,” the witness said.
The witness said he believed the alleged incident was about a television that was stolen and he did not know he was a witness in a trial. But later in the hearing, he agreed it was about drugs.
Scott’s lawyer, Hayden Rattray, put to the witness he did know one of the accused men despite saying in his police statement he had never seen them before.
“They had been to the house before. They came to buy some drugs and they wanted the people who were inside to come out. They wouldn’t so they took off,” the witness said.
Mr Rattray also suggested the witness had been ‘coming down’ from the drug ice when the alleged incident occurred.
During re-examination, police prosecutor Dannielle Guesdon reminded the witness the accused were pointing their guns, saying ‘you better not testify’ against two people in an upcoming trial.
At the end of the day’s hearing, Scott applied for bail but was refused. He faces additional charges from October 13, including four counts of possessing a firearm, and one count each of possessing a controlled weapon without a lawful excuse and possessing a prohibited weapon (crossbow).
The accused were remanded in custody and are due to return to court on August 8 where the hearing will continue.
