A man who drunkenly shot at a bus on a busy Sydney road has been sentenced to a minimum of three years imprisonment.
Peter Michael Brophy, 55, was armed with two loaded rifles on the night of his drunken rampage in May 2012 on the streets of Rozelle in Sydney's inner west.
A former member of the British Army, he was also carrying ammunition stuffed into socks.
He was sentenced in the Sydney District Court on Friday to a minimum of three years for six charges relating to possessing and firing an unlicensed firearm in public.
Brophy had been a worthwhile member of society for the majority of his adult life, Judge Stephen Hanley said.
But the court heard problems with alcohol had marred his personal relationships, leading to a marriage breakdown, severe depression and, eventually, homelessness.
He'd also suffered two traumatic brain injuries - likely due to drunken falls, Judge Hanley said.
Forced to sleep upstairs in his ex-girlfriend's office for almost a year, Brophy was dealt a "final blow" when her boss told him to leave.
"That, in effect, destroyed his perception of himself of being a successful businessman and successful in life in general," Judge Hanley said.
On the morning of May 22, 2012, he went to the Sackville Hotel in Rozelle and bought a bottle of white wine, returning later in the day.
In the evening, he packed two rifles in a leather pouch and made for Victoria Road, holding up a taxi before firing at a bus being driven by Amanjit Singh.
The shot left a "crater-like" hole near the vehicle's destination sign, and Singh and his passengers distraught, Judge Hanley said.
He said he held a "guarded acceptance" that Brophy would not reoffend, and was genuinely remorseful - adding he was very lucky police didn't shoot him upon arriving at the scene.
Brophy had pleaded not guilty and was acquitted of three charges of possessing a weapon with intent to harm, as well as one charge of discharging a rifle to avoid being apprehended.
He was sentenced to a maximum of five years, but given time already served, will be eligible for parole on June 6, 2015.
