A MEMBER of the itinerant and secretive Romani community who last year twice shot a man in the legs over a dispute between two families was convicted of manslaughter over the stabbing, slashing and chopping of a man during a gruesome brawl involving another Romani family at a Central Coast caravan park nearly 20 years ago.
Adam Samuel Jones Jnr, known as "Little Adam", now 38, was on Friday jailed for a maximum of seven years, with a non-parole period of four years after he pleaded guilty to armed robbery causing wounding and acquiring a pistol subject to a firearm prohibition order.
Meanwhile, his 60-year-old father, Adam Jones Snr, known as "Big Adam", has pleaded not guilty to the armed robbery and shooting and will face a trial next year.
"Little Adam" was only 19 and the youngest of three generations of Joneses who were convicted of manslaughter over the killing of William "Bill" Smith, who was hacked to death during a dispute between the two families at the Tuggerah Village Caravan Park at Kangy Angy on October 9, 2005.
The fatal brawl had been sparked by a trivial remark about marrying a Scotsman and, after a struggle and threats during which "Little Adam" produced a knife, both families retired to their caravans and armed themselves to the teeth.
"Little Adam" was acquitted of murder on the basis of excessive self-defence and extreme provocation, but found guilty of manslaughter and was later jailed for a maximum of nine years, with a non-parole period of six years. He was released on parole in 2011.
He later became associated with outlaw motorcycle gangs and spent more time behind bars before he got back in touch with his father in 2023 and the pair went to Karuah in July to sort out another trivial dispute with the patriarch of another family in the extended "traveller" community.
It was about 6pm on July 4 when the pair arrived at the home and asked to speak to the victim, telling his wife: "It's men's business".
While other members of the victim's family, including children, locked themselves inside bedrooms, "Little Adam" pulled out a black pistol and demanded the victim's $24,000 Rolex watch.
"You're getting f--- all," the victim replied. "You're getting nothing."
"Little Adam" then shot the victim in the top of his left leg, the bullet lodging in the victim's wallet.
He kept demanding the watch and then shot the victim in the right thigh.
The victim still wouldn't hand over his watch and "Little Adam" pointed the gun at his head, while his father allegedly told him "shoot the wife, just shoot her".
Eventually, the victim allegedly handed over his watch and the two men left.
Court documents state that two children in the home were so terrified after hearing the gunshots that they climbed out the window and fled down to a river to hide.
The bullet fell out of the victim's thigh wound and the victim's wife later found the other bullet lodged in his wallet.
He was taken to hospital and told police he couldn't remember what happened and didn't know the men who shot him.
The "traveller community", or Romani people, have a strict policy about speaking or "squealing" to police, or "gavvers", and the victim said he was worried members of his family would face further retribution.
"Little Adam" on Friday said he had now dissociated himself from OMCG gangs and the Romani people, saying "the ideals that community shares are not in line with my values now".
