Brincat, 25, was jailed for four years and nine months in Melbourne’s County Court today after pleading guilty to recklessly causing serious injury and being a prohibited person using a firearm following the shooting on October 9, 2016.

The court was told the victim arrived at Brincat’s Wendouree home to collect money he was owed for ice before an altercation broke out.

The victim stumbled back and accidentally knocked over a young boy, with Brincat yelling “what, now you’re bashing my 5-year-old? … you’re dead now dog” before suddenly shooting him in the stomach with a homemade gun. 

Later, Brincat’s mother, girlfriend and a man drove the victim to Ballarat Base Hospital, with the man telling the victim “to tell people he had shot himself accidentally”.

Brincat’s girlfriend also took the victim’s phone, which has never been recovered.

But police tapped Brincat’s phone and overheard him talking to his father about the gun in the days following the shooting.

“I f**ked up big time this time … I know it was an accident but I should have never bought the f**king thing,” he said.

In sentencing, Judge Mark Gamble slammed Brincat’s behaviour.

"The possession of – let alone the use of – loaded firearms strikes fear into the community,” he said.

He has already served 19 months and his sentence carries a non-parole period of three years and three months.