Five years for leg wound

Man jailed for shooting friend

A LAUNCESTON man has been sentenced to five years in prison for shooting a mate in the leg despite the judge describing the case against him as “circumstantial”.

In the Supreme Court in Launceston, Acting Justice Pierre Slicer sentenced Jamie Lee Vimpany to five years in jail after being found guilty by a jury of grievous bodily harm.

About 4am on November 23, 2014, Vimpany shot his victim, who was well known to him, in the leg. The incident was witnessed by a taxi driver who had dropped the victim off near Vimpany’s house and was waiting to be paid.

Two other men who were present at the time of the shooting were described as “adverse witnesses” in the trial and did not directly identify Vimpany as the shooter.

No motive was suggested during the trial.

Forensic evidence showed discharged cartridges found at Vimpany’s home were identical to the discharged cartridge found at the scene of the shooting and had been fired from the same weapon.

“The case against Mr Vimpany was circumstantial,” Acting Justice Slicer said.

“The court is entitled to make findings not inconsistent with the jury’s verdict. The primary finding is that Mr Vimpany fired the weapon, intending to cause grievous bodily harm by firing a rifle at his body at short range.”

Acting Justice Slicer said the victim had been significantly affected by the shooting.

“He has flashback and anxiety episodes,” he said.

“He continues to receive medical assistance and has been diagnosed as suffering from socialisation paranoia disorder. The court suspects that the disorder may have been a pre-incident condition, but accepts that it would have been exacerbated by the event of the shooting.”

Vimpany will be eligible for parole after serving 3½ years.