A man has been sentenced to a maximum 19 years for his role in the "cold-blooded" murder of another man in southwestern NSW.
Semin Rizvic was shot in his Wagga Wagga flat in July 2011.
Portions of his scalp and ear were then severed, with the latter tossed into the unit building's garden bed.
Peter Kearnes is now serving a minimum of 22 years for the killing, while a jury found his co-accused Christopher John Paton guilty of murder last November.
In the Supreme Court on Friday 30-year-old Paton was sentenced to a minimum of 14 years and three months, and a maximum of 19 years for his part in the crime.
Justice Richard Button said it couldn't be proved beyond reasonable doubt that Paton was present when Rizvic was shot or when his body was mutilated.
But he did believe Paton knew Kearnes was intending to commit the "cold-blooded" murder and did nothing to stop him.
The court heard Rizvic had been in a relationship with Kearnes' ex-wife.
Justice Button said Paton's presence at the time of the killing had encouraged Kearnes in the same way participants in a punch-up implicitly rally the main aggressor on.
Both the men were methamphetamine users and part of the "drug milieu" in their community.
The court heard Paton had shown no remorse during his trial and was probably "carried along" by Kearnes' more powerful personality.
Paton had long-standing problems with alcohol, and was a daily drinker by the time he turned 18 - an addiction likely fuelled by the "brutal mistreatment" he suffered as a boy at the hands of his tyrannical father, Justice Button observed.
As the court heard details of his violent upbringing, Paton ran a hand around his collar and loosened his tie as he sat in the dock.
With the support of his mother and long-term partner, Justice Button said he hoped Paton could rehabilitate himself.
Given time already served, Paton will be eligible for parole in February 2026.
