FORMER rising football star Joel Barton will spend at least 12 years in jail for his part in a string of armed robberies and for shooting with the intent to murder bowling club patron Dick McGuigan, an act a judge has labelled ‘‘gratuitous and cruel’’.
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Barton is a former reserve grade player who was expelled from both the Newcastle Knights and Cronulla Sharks for his drinking and fighting, the Sydney District Court heard.
On Monday, the 27-year-old was sentenced to a maximum 16 years in jail, with a non-parole period of 12 years, for the attempted murder of Mr McGuigan along with his involvement in hold-ups at the Water Board Bowling Club at North Lambton, the Criterion Hotel at Carrington, the Carrington post office and the New Lambton branch of the Newcastle Permanent.
It matches the jail term imposed in July on Ryker Jennar, the man who ordered Barton to ‘‘put one in him’’ before Barton shot Mr McGuigan in the stomach with a Ruger .223 mini-14 assault rifle at close range.
‘‘It was gratuitous and cruel; it involved a grave risk of death,’’ Judge Stephen Handley found of Barton’s actions.
With their faces covered, Jennar and Barton had stormed the Water Board Bowling Club on June 19, 2011. About 50 patrons, including children, were inside.
It was then Mr McGuigan walked up to Jennar and said: ‘‘I know you, I recognise you. What the bloody hell are you doing this shit for? Wake up to your bloody-self.’’
After seizing cash they went to flee, but Mr McGuigan and some others followed. It was then he was shot, which Judge Handley said was ‘‘entirely unnecessary’’ and resulted in him undergoing more than a dozen operations.
‘‘It was callous and this is reflected in the type of ammunition used to load the gun.’’
Judge Handley said the sentence in relation to shooting with intent to murder Mr McGuigan was 14 years, with a non-parole period of 10 years, incorporated into an aggregate.
He also took into account the fear of staff who were confronted during robberies between June 2010 and July 2011.
Barton will be eligible for release in December 2023.