Mr Laing covered 150m, then collapsed and died from four
bullet wounds. The other shots left a trail of damage across shop
windows and brick-fronts. 

April 20 last year started off as just a normal day for the
three men. 

Little left his home in Seabrook Avenue, Rockingham, in
the morning. It was pension day, so he was quick to withdraw
some of his dole money from the bank and get on with drowning

After  some  drinks  in  Rockingham,  he  took  a  taxi  to
Fremantle and hit the Newport Hotel about midday. 

 
Williams,  of  Carine,  also  started  drinking  early.  As he

contemplated the direction his life was heading, he got on trains
to Perth, then Fremantle, then a bus to Rockingham. 

He also was keen to drown his sorrows after losing heavily
when trying to run the Chelsea Tavern in Nedlands. Soon, it was
back to Fremantle and the Newport Hotel. The difference was that
he was armed with his loaded Beretta pistol. 

In  a  quiet  bar,  the  two  strangers  soon  struck  up  a
conversation. 

 
Little poured out his problems with Mr Laing, complaining

that he had been beaten up and that Mr Laing had broken into his
house. 

 
Williams talked of his days in the Army and of how he

owned a gun. To prove it, he let Little look inside a Jeans West
shopping bag, where the weapon was hidden under a T-shirt. 

 
The story the men told the court then differed. 

 
Little claimed that Williams offered to shoot Mr Laing for

 
He  didn't  want  anything  like  that  done  to  one  of  his

friends but was happy for Williams to threaten Mr Laing, give him
a fright and perhaps even wave the gun in his face. 

 
This would have the desired effect - Mr Laing would back

off and leave him alone. Little said he never thought Williams
would fire the gun. 

 
But Williams claimed there was no such conversation. He