A man has asked a Canberra court not to jail him for shooting at a senior Rebels bikie club member with a high-calibre revolver amid rising tensions over his plans to leave the club.
Stephen Pattman, 50, told the ACT Supreme Court he fired a warning shot, aimed between the man's head and his car head rest.
The court heard he used a .44 calibre revolver, which was handed to him by his son Christopher Pattman who has also pleaded guilty to his role in the shooting.
Court documents show that the victim had come to the house with another man as part of attempted peace talks.
Instead there was a heated argument and Pattman said he formed the view the man was armed, and asked his son for the "cannon".
Pattman said he joined the Rebels to keep an eye on his daughter who was going out with a senior member.
"These people were not my sort of people," he said.
"I was concerned about my daughter's safety."
He said his son joined the club to help him.
"Because I had no idea what I was getting into and I know my son has my back," Pattman said.
Pair being assessed to avoid jail
Pattman said he stayed in the club for four years, even building a clubhouse at Bungendore.
But the court heard when the pair wanted to leave, tensions escalated.
"We were being terrorised by members … there were threats outside my house prior and after … there was a constant threat," Pattman said.
Court documents reveal that although Stephen Pattman told police what he had done, the victim did not complain.
He said afterwards he and his son went into hiding for about a year living in a caravan, and staying mostly in forest areas.
Pattman said his efforts to break up his daughter's relationship failed, and he no longer had any relationship with her.
Christopher Pattman has pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited weapon.
Justice Hillary Penfold has asked for intensive corrections order assessments for both, which could mean neither will face jail time.
The pair will be formally sentenced in October.
