AFTER a day spent exchanging threats, two men arranged to meet on a remote stretch of road heading out of West Wallsend into bushland to sort things out.
One of them brought a shotgun, triggering a struggle over the weapon that ended with a 39-year-old man being blasted in the left leg at close range.
But then, as his rival writhed in pain from the 20 or so shotgun pellets embedded in his leg, Brayden James Leschinkohl, now 28, took control of the gun, stepped back and shot him in his other leg.
"You just shot me, can you get me an ambulance," the victim asked Leschinkohl.
"You shouldn't have been a smart c---, you're a 40-year-old dog," Leschinkohl replied.
The victim fell to the ground as Leschinkohl fled.
Judge Roy Ellis described the second shotgun blast as "deadset revenge" and said images of the injuries showed "a whole portion of his leg was blown away".
He said the victim was lucky the pellets had not severed the femoral artery and said he had undergone three surgeries and faced long-term disability.
Leschinkohl had denied all charges relating to the kneecapping off O'Donnelltown Road, at West Wallsend on September 26, 2024 and was expected to face a trial in Newcastle District Court earlier this year.
But he pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent during the court's super callover after prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of possessing a loaded firearm in a public place.
Detectives had initially alleged Leschinkohl had deliberately shot the victim in both legs after the pair met up on the remote stretch of road about 5.30pm.
But as part of negotiations, prosecutors accepted they could not establish who brought the gun to the meeting and agreed they could not prove Leschinkohl was criminally responsible for the first discharge of the shotgun.
As a result of that development, Leschinkohl's guilty plea and his subjective case, which included a difficult upbringing, the 28-year-old was on Friday jailed for a maximum of six years and four months in Newcastle District Court.
Judge Ellis set a non-parole period of three years and three months, making Leschinkohl eligible for parole in January, 2028.
According to court documents, the pair had known each other for more than a decade and had been friends, Leschinkohl viewing him as something of a father-figure before they had a falling out.
They spent the day on September 26 exchanging threats and arranged to meet at O'Donnelltown Road about 5.30pm before the victim was shot twice and Leschinkohl fled.
Leschinkohl handed himself in to police a few hours later and has remained behind bars ever since.
