Son of 'Barney' co-creator Sheryl Leach sentenced to 15 years for Malibu shooting

The son of a co-creator of the 'Barney and Friends' TV show has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for shooting his Malibu neighbor. City News Service says 29-year-old Patrick Leach was sentenced Wednesday for the 2013 attack.

The son of a co-creator of the 'Barney and Friends' TV show has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for shooting his Malibu neighbor.

City News Service says 29-year-old Patrick Leach was sentenced Wednesday for the 2013 attack. 

Leach's mother is Sheryl Leach, co-creator of the PBS show featuring Barney the purple dinosaur.

He pleaded no contest in May to assault with a semiautomatic firearm and shooting from a motor vehicle, causing great bodily injury.

Locked up: Patrick Leach, the son of Barney co-creator Sheryl Leach (pictured), was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for wounding his neighbor with a gun 

Locked up: Patrick Leach, the son of Barney co-creator Sheryl Leach (pictured), was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for wounding his neighbor with a gun 

Leach shot his 49-year-old neighbor in the chest with a .45 caliber handgun in Florida in 2013.

Leach then drove off, leaving the man to bleed in his driveway on the exclusive West Winding Way in Malibu.

Luckily someone who heard the gunshot wrote down the license plate of the fleeing vehicle and then helped save the victim by stemming the bleeding.

The shocking incident began with Leach driving next door, honking his horn and accusing his neighbor of trespassing.

An argument arose and escalated, leading to Leach firing multiple times, according to prosecutors.

'I heard the victim yelling, "Hey, I've been shot!'' the anonymous good Samaritan told ABC News in 2013.

Scene: Leach shot his 49-year-old neighbor in the chest in 2013, and claimed that he thought the man was an intruder

Scene: Leach shot his 49-year-old neighbor in the chest in 2013, and claimed that he thought the man was an intruder

The neighbor was shot once in the chest and the round exited through his shoulder.

The Good Samaritan likely saved the injured man's life by putting pressure on the wound to stanch the bleeding until help arrived.

When police arrested Leach he was wearing body armor and carrying weapons.

The immensely popular, Barney & Friends, has made millions of dollars for his mother, former Texas school-teacher, Sheryl Leach.

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As a little boy Patrick Leach was said to have provided her inspiration for the friendly character after he was captivated by a dinosaur exhibit in a museum.

'When my son Patrick was a toddler I was always looking for ways to entertain him and keep him busy. I felt that if the storylines worked with my son, they would work with all children - Patrick was an excellent focus group of one!' She told You've GOT to Read This Book - a book collating authors views on how they were inspired.

His name also appears as co-author with his mother on a book related to the series, Barney's Book of Hugs, published in 1997.

The singing dinosaur was best known of his song, 'I love you, you love me, we're a happy family with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you, won't you say you love me too!'

 

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