McPherson pays price for violence

Shane Matthew McPherson, 21 was found guilty by a jury of a hit and run offence.

File

IT was a vigilante act that left a 20-year-old Rockhampton man with permanent facial disfigurement.

And last night Shane Matthew McPherson paid the price for “losing his cool” when he ran down the man who stole his brother’s mini-motorcycle.

The 21-year-old, who was also one of Rockhampton’s notorious 2006 Australia Day shooters, said a tearful goodbye to his fiancée and mother of his 18-month-old daughter, and other family members as he was escorted from the courtroom to serve five years behind bars.

McPherson was found guilty by a jury at 6pm yesterday of acts intending to cause grievous bodily harm after a three-day trial in the Supreme Court at Rockhampton.

He was also found not guilty of attempted murder.

Justice Duncan McMeekin immediately sentenced him to five years’ jail to be suspended after serving two-and-a-half years.

McPherson pursued a thief on March 23, 2009, who stole a motorcycle from his North Rockhampton home.

He first knocked him off the bike at Gracemere and later when the victim was running away on foot, he drove over the top of him in a yellow utility on the corner of Arlott and Bland streets.

The victim suffered multiple abrasions and lacerations to his limbs and face.

He also needed skin grafting to his face.

His facial disfigurement was clear to the jury when he gave evidence in court this week.

It’s not the first time McPherson has been involved in similar criminal behaviour.

In 2006 he was involved with a group of teens who drove around Rockhampton on Australia Day shooting at Aborigines in parks.

He was the driver on this occasion and was sentenced to nine months’ prison, which he served as an intensive correction order.

For this recent hit and run act, crown prosecutor David Morters asked McPherson to be sentenced to nine years’ prison because he fled the scene and did not attempt to help the man.

Mr Morters said there was also evidence of some “racial aspect” in this case, according to the victim.

“He quite obviously learnt nothing from his last opportunity (of being able to serve jail time as an ICO),” he said.

Supporters in the court room loudly cried as the sentence was handed down last night at 7pm. McPherson is also suspended from holding a driver’s licence for three years.