OAKLANDS man Cory Dean Beagley is facing indictable charges over the shooting of a woman in the township in December 2011.
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Beagley, 33, appeared at Corowa Local Court yesterday on three charges relating to the shooting of Helen Preedy, then 61, when she was walking in Kilpatrick Street about 7.45pm on December 28.
The charges were laid by Albury Detective Sen-Constable Tim Simmonds about 18 months after Beagley was sentenced at court for possessing an unauthorised firearm, failing to safely keep a prohibited firearm and possessing ammunition without holding a licence.
Beagley was put on a nine-month suspended sentence by magistrate Tony Murray in Albury Local Court on August 13, 2012.
The new charges involve recklessly causing grievous bodily harm to Mrs Preedy, using an unauthorised prohibited firearm without authorisation and firing a .22 rifle with a silencer in a manner likely to injure someone.
Director of Public Prosecutions representative John Kontista said his office was electing to proceed with the matters on indictment to the District Court.
Mr Kontista said the matter had been reviewed by the deputy director of the DPP, Keith Alder.
Beagley, of Buller Street, appeared without a solicitor and was advised he would receive a police brief of evidence by May 14.
Mr Murray adjourned the charges until May 21 at Corowa for a paper committal or an application to call witnesses at a committal hearing.
A bullet wound to the neck was inflicted on Mrs Preedy when she was taking an evening stroll.
She was rushed to the Corowa Hospital with throat and neck injuries before being transferred to the Albury hospital where she spent 13 days in intensive care.
Mr Murray was told in 2012 that the rifle with silencer and four boxes of ammunition were found hidden in a roof cavity at Beagley’s home about 100 metres from the shooting location.
Solicitor Ben Horne said Beagley was trying to fix the rifle’s firing pin after a work colleague gave it to him.
Mr Horne said Beagley had been at a work Christmas party at the Oaklands hotel on December 28, intoxicated to the point of falling over.
“His level of intoxication was so high that he has no recollection of that evening,” Mr Horne said.
Attempts made by Beagley to fix the firing pin were unsuccessful.
Mr Horne said police had foreshadowed further charges may be laid about the shooting, but that had not happened.