A Deloraine man who shot a girl in the head has been sentenced to three and a half years’ jail.
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Nathan Richard Campbell, 26, was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to 11-year-old Phoenix Newitt.
The shooter’s four-day trial in the Launceston Supreme Court detailed the events which led to him firing a rifle at a car parked at the end of Stagg Court in August 2017.
A fight between Campbell’s now-fiance Brearna Mansell and the victim’s mother Sarah Newitt at Deloraine Woolworths preceded the shooting.
The two mothers got into the violent altercation after being kicked out of the supermarket for verbally abusing each other.
During the trial, Ms Mansell said she started punching Ms Newitt because she pulled out an unopened pocket knife.
After Woolworths staff broke up the fight, Ms Newitt allegedly told Ms Mansell she knew where her daughter slept and was going to get her raped.
Ms Mansell left the supermarket with her friend, returning to her home at Stagg Court where her partner and daughter were.
Bloody and bruised from the fight, Ms Newitt stayed at the supermarket to have her injuries checked out by paramedics.
She called her younger brother Zack to tell him what had happened. He put his four-year-old son in the car and went to see his sister.
Ms Newitt did not wait for police or paramedics, instead she left the scene with her brother.
Despite Ms Newitt pleading with him to be taken home, Mr Newitt drove to Stagg Court.
It was alleged by two neighbours that the Newitts and Campbell were yelling and screaming obscenities at each other.
The threats made Campbell “see red”, so he went into his house and retrieved the rifle.
“I heard Zack Newitt say he was going to come in and rape my daughter and make me watch,” Campbell said.
He cocked the gun, walked to the tree in his front yard, took the safety off, aimed at the front wheel and fired.
Campbell thought the shot had missed the car and he only found out the bullet hit Phoenix when he was being interviewed by police.
It took the jury about three hours over two days to determine the 26-year-old’s fate.