Full Breakdown
Hamilton Court Sentences Luke Johnstone for Domestic Violence Shooting
6/20/2026, 11:56:48 AM
Shooting and Abuse Timeline
Anastasia Storie-Cole and Luke Johnstone had been friends since 2018 and began a romantic relationship in April 2024. By October 2024 Johnstone’s methamphetamine use escalated, leading to repeated threats, physical assaults, and weapon-based intimidation, including punches, kicks, a baseball bat, and a garden-shears threat. In May 2025, while Storie-Cole cradled their infant, Johnstone fired a pellet from a gas-powered handgun, striking her above the left ear. The projectile remained for four days before removal. Following the attack she fled to a neighbour’s house and then to a women’s refuge for seven months. Storie-Cole attended the public hearing.
Court Proceedings and Sentencing
The case was heard in Hamilton District Court in June 2025. Crown prosecutor James Bridgman sought a 60 % non-parole period on a ten-year base sentence, describing the abuse as “cruel, callous indifference”. Defence counsel Kaleb Whyte argued Johnstone’s meth-induced intoxication limited his recollection and highlighted his expressed “genuine shame”. Judge Kim Saunders noted Johnstone’s “light-hearted” demeanor in court and applied a 40 % discount for his upbringing and addiction, imposing a six-year prison term with a six-year non-parole period.
Victim Impact and Community Response
Storie-Cole’s victim-impact statement said, “I feel I will never be safe with him in or out of jail,” describing life as a “real-life horror movie”. She recounted fleeing to a neighbour’s bathroom, police assistance, and a seven-month stay at a women’s refuge. Community members voiced fear that Johnstone could “hunt her down like prey” if released, highlighting the broader social repercussions of the abuse.
Conflicting Accounts and Gaps
The defence asserted Johnstone’s meth-induced state prevented him from recalling the assault, yet Judge Saunders observed his “light-hearted” conduct and questioned his remorse. The Crown’s 60 % non-parole recommendation conflicted with the defence’s request for no minimum period, resulting in a negotiated 40 % discount. The exact date of the shooting and the source of the pellet are not disclosed.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I opened the door and turned to let him in, so literally within five seconds ... he’d pulled the trigger.” — Anastasia Storie-Cole, victim
- “laugh about it one day” — Luke Johnstone, defendant
- “I didn’t see her laugh about it today, Mr Johnstone” — Judge Kim Saunders
- “The cruel, callous indifference to her and the harm you have caused her in that six months frankly defies belief,” — Judge Kim Saunders
What’s Next
Johnstone will serve a six-year sentence with a six-year non-parole period before any parole hearing. The victim remains under protective orders and continues to fear retaliation. Authorities have not disclosed a release date, and the court may impose additional restraining measures if parole is granted.
