Carl Little, Shyeim Little, and Wayne Mark Murdoch all fronted Wagga’s District Court for trial on Tuesday after an alleged North Wagga shooting last January. 

The three men were brought before the courts after an incident at a Mill Street home that left another man with a bullet in his leg. 

The trio originally pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against them; all were charged with entering a house in company with the intention of causing intimidation while armed with a dangerous weapon, and Carl Little was also charged with disarming the firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. 

However, after a last-minute interview with the police on Monday, Murdoch changed his mind and entered an unexpected plea of guilty when questioned by Judge Gordon Lerve on Tuesday morning.

“This matter gets curiouser and curiouser,” Judge Lerve said. 

The two Littles maintained their pleas of not guilty and will still face trial over the incident. 

The crown prosecutor said that, given his new plea of guilty, Murdoch will now likely be called to give evidence in that trial when it eventually begins.

However, the court also heard that Murdoch’s last-minute plea of guilty will likely cause a significant delay in the Littles’ trial going ahead, as Murdoch’s sentence needs to be finalised before the matter can continue.

“The trial proper can’t proceed until after the sentence of Mr Murdoch, and that obviously is not going to happen over the next week or two,” the crown prosecutor said. 

Judge Lerve allowed Murdoch to continue his bail until his next court appearance on Friday, but said that did not necessarily mean he would avoid jail time for the incident. 

“His bail is continued, but that shouldn’t be any indication as to what might happen to him,” Judge Lerve said. 

Shyeim Little’s bail was also continued, however, Carl Little has been held on remand over the matter since January last year, and will remain in custody until the trial goes ahead. 

The Littles and their legal representatives will return to Wagga’s District Court on Wednesday to continue some pre-trial arguments. 

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