Smart pleads guilty to identity charge

A man who was shot in the back during a Romeo and Juliet-style romance with the alleged gunman's sister has pleaded guilty to trying to conceal the man's identity.

Joshua Smart, 24, and his 49-year-old father Michael Smart were gunned down just outside their family home in Pyrmont in inner Sydney in April last year.

On Tuesday, Smart changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on one count of trying to conceal an indictable offence after police alleged he knew who their attacker was.

He also pleaded guilty to another charge of using a carriage service in a criminal offence.

The background to the alleged shooting was revealed in August last year when Smart's barrister, Charles Waterstreet, made an unsuccessful attempt to get his client bail.

The Supreme Court heard that Smart was embroiled in an ongoing dispute with the family of his girlfriend Monique Farrell, with whom he had a "volatile relationship".

Ms Farrell's brother Corey George Farrell was charged over the double shooting.

In the days before the attack, Smart is alleged to have taken photographs of himself holding a revolver, ammunition and a police badge and spoke about "a bullet for each".

Days later, he and his father were shot - prompting Smart to allegedly send a text to Ms Farrell saying: "Ur bro just shot me and my Dad" (sic).

Smart's blood was later found on the phone from which this SMS was allegedly sent, the court heard.

The matter will return to court on Wednesday morning.