Sydney home of Alan Bond's former adviser Jim Byrnes shot at.

 "Sydney home of Alan Bond's former adviser Jim Byrnes shot at
From: AAP November 22, 2012 11:20AM"

A SMALL child is lucky to have escaped injury during a ''cowardly'' drive-by shooting at the home of controversial Sydney businessman Jim Byrnes, police say.

Rose Bay Local Area Commander Michael Fitzgerald today would not confirm whether the house belonged to Mr Byrnes, Alan Bond's former financial adviser.

But he told reporters a 54-year-old man and his family, including two school-aged children, were asleep inside at the time of the attack.

The Bellevue Hill home in Sydney's eastern suburbs was shot at least twice around midnight last night.

The property is registered in the name of Mr Byrnes' wife.

Det Supt Fitzgerald told reporters the drive-by shooting was highly unusual for the exclusive suburb.

The family was shaken up after the ``disgusting'' attack, he added.

''I can't go into specific details but a shot was fired into a window where a young child was sleeping at the time,'' he said.

''People who carry out these acts are just cowardly, they shoot indiscriminately into houses, not knowing, or not caring, who is inside.''

Police were first called to Cranbrook Road on Wednesday night after several residents reported hearing gunshots or fireworks.

They were called back at 6.30am (AEDT) today when a bullet hole was discovered in the front of the property.

Det Supt Fitzgerald would not comment on the identity of the homeowners or whether they were known to police.

''At this stage, the occupant is a victim of crime, and that is as far as I wish to discuss in regards to the identity of the occupant,'' he said.

Police were still combing the property for more bullet holes.

Many residents in the affluent area had CCTV surveillance systems and footage from neighbours' cameras could offer clues, Det Supt Fitzgerald said.

The Bellevue Hill shooting was not thought to be linked to two other shootings in Sydney overnight, he said.

Officers were called to a house in Bella Vista after a shot was fired at it, about 11.15pm (AEDT).

None of the five people inside the house were injured.

About an hour earlier, a man was shot in the legs when five bullets were fired into a car he was sitting in at Guildford West.

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