Victorian Man Granted Bail After Alleged Shooting in Neighbour Dispute
A resident of Victoria, accused of shooting a father following an intense neighbourhood dispute, has been granted bail under stringent conditions, including a requirement to reside at least 10 kilometres from the street where the incident occurred.
Details of the Alleged Incident
Neil James Harrington, aged 55, is alleged to have shot a 37-year-old father at a property on Gill Road in Point Lonsdale, located on the southern end of the City of Port Phillip, on December 11. The shooting is reported to have taken place after graffiti was discovered on a home opposite the crime scene, which read: 'You can't hide b***h.'
It is understood that the two individuals had been involved in an escalating dispute in the days leading up to the alleged shooting. The alleged victim was initially hospitalised with life-threatening injuries but was downgraded from a critical to serious condition within the following two days.
Court Proceedings and Bail Conditions
Harrington appeared before the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday, where he was granted bail with strict conditions. These conditions include permanently residing more than 350 kilometres from the alleged victim. Defence lawyer David Cronin stated that Harrington would immediately relocate to Barooga, on the New South Wales and Victoria border, if granted bail.
According to reports from the Geelong Advertiser, Harrington would be driven directly after court to a property owned by his wife's family, situated approximately 350 kilometres away from Point Lonsdale. His wife would collect his belongings and deliver them to the property, where Harrington intended to contribute manual labour and seek employment at a local orchard or meatworks.
Mr Cronin added that Harrington would only return to the region of the alleged crime for court appearances in Geelong and could regularly report to Cobram Police Station, about 6 kilometres from Barooga.
Prosecution and Defence Arguments
Prosecutor Paul D'Arcy argued that the family of the alleged victim expressed 'very great concern' about Harrington being released. He added that the alleged attack 'came out of nowhere' as a result of a 'trivial' neighbourhood argument.
Supreme Court judge Kerri Judd accepted the prosecution's submissions but noted that the 'reality' was the defendant would be residing several hours from the alleged victim, which 'significantly mitigated any risk'.
Specific Bail Conditions
Harrington was granted bail on the following conditions:
- Reside at the designated address in Barooga.
- Not go within 10 kilometres of Point Lonsdale.
- Surrender all firearms, licences, and his passport.
- Have only one mobile phone with one number.
Additionally, Harrington's wife was ordered to put up a $100,000 bail guarantee. It was noted in court that Harrington had never been jailed before and suffers from a heart condition.
Previous Bail Attempt and Future Court Date
Harrington's previous bail attempt, on January 5, had been denied. He is due to appear at Geelong Magistrates Court on March 24.
The charges against Harrington include intentionally causing serious injury, reckless conduct (discharging a firearm), using an unregistered category A or B longarm, using a firearm in a dangerous manner, and using a firearm in the commission of an indictable offence.
