A Blenheim man who shot dead another man during a confrontation outside a Blenheim motorcycle club was today jailed for life.
Aaron James Harvey was sentenced in the High Court in Blenheim to a minimum of 10 years non-parole period for murdering another Blenheim man Carl MacDonald.
He was found guilty after a trial in Blenheim in October. Three other men were found not guilty.
Members of the MacDonald family and their supporters clapped and cheered in the public gallery as Harvey, 35, was escorted from the dock after the sentencing.
"You rotten f---ing bottom feeder," one woman yelled. Others also swore at Harvey, who swore back. Outside court, police dispersed people who continued yelling abuse.
Passing sentence, Justice John Wild said he wondered what was going through Harvey's head when he shot Mr MacDonald.
"The long and short of it was that you shot a man dead in Blenheim on a residential street on a Saturday morning and you are a murderer," he said.
Harvey shot Mr MacDonald outside the Lone Legion Motorcycle Club with a sawn-off .22 rifle during a confrontation.
Images of the shooting were captured on CCTV cameras mounted on the club house property on Blenheim's Gascoigne St and presented as evidence to the jury.
Today Harvey's lawyer Mike Antunovic said it was accepted Harvey would be sentenced to life in prison.
Crown prosecutor Glen Marshall said Harvey was jailed in March 1, 2007 for another offence and the murder happened not long after his release.
