A Queensland man will serve a year behind bars after pointing a handgun at a Cairns Domino’s Pizza crew member who refused to offer him a discount.
Philip Willich drove to the Smithfield pizza joint in October 2015, after restaurant workers refused to offer him a special deal during his phone order as he didn’t have the required voucher.
The Cairns Magistrates Court heard the 53-year-old asked to speak to 25-year-old Domino’s manager Isaac Ramsey, and the pair met in a corridor near the restaurant.
Ramsey refused to offer an apology for not extending a discount. CCTV footage of the conversation shows Willich responded by pulling out a pistol concealed under his clothes, and pointing it directly at Ramsey.
At one point, Ramsey could be seen on his knees with his hands above his head, while Willich aimed the weapon at his face from point-blank range. The gun wasn’t loaded at the time.
A man who held a gun to the head of a pizza shop worker in Qld has been sentenced to 3 years in jail, but could walk free in 12 months #sun7 pic.twitter.com/Er6okznJnS
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) July 12, 2017
Willich plead guilty to a number of serious charges, including common assault, deprivation of liberty, and a charge relating to the firearm’s shortened barrel.
His defence presented documents to the court detailing Willich’s history of an alcohol addiction, narcissistic characteristics, and a depressive disorder.
The court heard the incident had a profound impact on Ramsey, who now has post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from the incident, and has been unable to return to work.
Willich was sentenced to three years in jail, but was issued a parole release date in one year’s time.
Source: Cairns Post / Sunrise.
Photo: Sunrise / Channel 7 / Twitter.
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