Wake-up call for shot man

A MAN allegedly shot in the abdomen by another man at Collinsville has been told that getting shot was the “price you pay” for the way he had been behaving.

Cody Wiri Davies pleaded guilty in Bowen Magistrates Court to four charges including spitting on a security guard at Airlie Beach, but escaped jail time as his lawyer Michael Hibble said being shot had served as a wake-up call.

Mr Hibble said Davies previously thought he was a “gangster” and had a high opinion of himself, but that all changed when he was seriously injured. He said Davies was shot in the abdomen, causing damage to his bowel, colon, bladder and pelvis.

Davies yesterday pleaded guilty to one count each of common assault, contravention of a banning order, driving under the influence of liquor and driving while his licence was suspended.

Police prosecutor Chelsea Pearson said Davies was kicked out of Magnums nightclub for being intoxicated on the night in February. Davies then walked to Boaty’s, where the victim was working on the front door at the ID scanner. Ms Pearson said a verbal fight ensued, where the guard asked Davies to move away from the venue.

“The defendant stated ‘Come on, come on, I will f--k you up, I’m a gangster’,” Ms Pearson said. Davies then tried to slap the guard, but missed, she said.

“The defendant has then spat at the complainant approximately four times … the complainant saw the spit leave the defendant’s mouth and hit his chest, arms and land on his shoe,” Ms Pearson said.

Ms Pearson said the contravention of a banning order was related to Davies trying to get into Boom nightclub in March and the two driving offences occurred in February, when he was found to be driving with marijuana in his blood and had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.135 per cent.

Davies’ criminal history from Western Australia and Queensland were presented to the court, with Ms Pearson noting there were several convictions for offences involving violence.

Lawyer Michael Hibble said the alleged shooting had completely changed Davies’ attitude. Mr Hibble said Davies left school at Year 10 and became an underground miner, but developed a significant ice habit in his early 20s. Now 29, Davies had rid himself of ice but now binge drank, the court heard.

Mr Hibble said Davies went to Collinsville last November and when his father travelled back to WA, Davies “ran amok” and became known to Collinsville police officers.

“He’s got a bit of a smart mouth about him and thinks he’s a gangster at least according to the security officer,” Mr Hibble said. “That all came to a screaming halt on the 29th May (when he was allegedly shot). He’s been in hospital doing rehab effectively since that time.”

Acting Magistrate John Milburn said: “As your counsel rightly points out, it may have taken the fact of being shot to get the wake-up call you clearly needed, but if that’s what it took for you to change your ways, then I guess that’s the price you pay for the way in which you conducted yourself over a period of time.”

Mr Milburn sentenced Davies to nine months’ jail suspended for two years. Davies was also fined $1900 and disqualified from driving for a year.