Police reveal Vince Focarelli lured into ambush by Descendants bikie

FORMER bikie gang leader Vince Focarelli was targeted for execution by rival gang the Descendants, police have revealed.

A MEMBER of the Descendants bikie gang lured former gang leader Vince Focarelli to a meeting purely to execute him, police investigations have discovered.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was picked up by Focarelli just a short distance from the Descendants’ clubrooms at Dry Creek and later emptied his handgun into Focarelli and his son Giovanni, killing him.

While Major Crime detectives will not reveal the motive behind the attempted assassination of Focarelli and murder of his stepson on January 29, 2012, they are “quite confident’’ of a breakthrough in the case as investigations progress.

While no members of the Descendants were involved in any of the five previous attempts on Vince Focarelli’s life, a small number of members are heavily involved in SA’s drug manufacturing and trafficking trade.

Case officer Detective Sergeant Phil Neagle said while the investigation was focusing on the suspect, who is no longer a member of the Descendants, the roles of others before and after incident were also being closely examined.

“There are a number of other witnesses who could come forward to assist. They have knowledge from prior to and after the shooting which would support the evidence we have already obtained,’’ he said.

“This is an active case that continues to progress slowly, but steadily.’’

He revealed significant forensic evidence had also been recovered from car in which the shootings occurred.

Detectives last November released CCTV footage of the shooting, which occurred in Flame Ave at Dry Creek. The vision showed Vince Focarelli’s Ford hire car entering Flame Ave, doing a U-turn and then stopping. A man could be seen exiting a rear door and firing up to eight shots into the car. Muzzle flashes could be seen and the man then ran from the car, which then speeds from Flame Ave.

Vince Focarelli, who was hit by four bullets, drove the car to Prospect Rd at Prospect where he hailed down a police patrol. Giovanni Focarelli died sitting in the front seat of the car.

While a .357 handgun was found tucked in Giovanni’s trousers, forensic testing later discovered DNA belonging to Vince Focarelli was on the trigger. The drug liquid fantasy was also found in the car.

Focarelli was later jailed for 19 months with a 14-month non-parole period after pleading guilty in the District Court to possessing a firearm without a licence and one count of possession of a controlled drug.

Det. Sgt Neagle said extensive investigations had ascertained the chain of events that resulted in Giovanni Focarelli’s murder.

“It is fair to say he went to a prearranged meeting with a person who was known to him,’’ he said.

“It is most likely that person had lured him to the meeting for the purpose of killing him’’.

While Vince Focarelli knew the suspect and trusted him enough to meet him, the fact a firearm was in his vehicle indicated he still had concerns for his safety after five previous attempts on his life.

“Because of the attempts on his life, he would have been paranoid about his safety at the time. He would have been displaying a heightened awareness at any meetings he went to,’’ Det. Sgt Neagle said.

“A pistol was recovered from the car with Giovanni, that supports this. That may also account for the reason that Giovanni was with him when he attended this meeting.’’

Detectives would not disclose motive, but the shooting occurred when tensions between several bikie gangs was intense.

Det. Sgt Neagle said police were “astonished’’ that Vince Focarelli still refused to cooperate with police to bring his stepson’s killer to justice.

“It is completely inexplicable to any rational person why any father would not cooperate with a police investigation into the murder of their stepson,’’ he said.

“He has been approached on a number of occasions to give an account, but continually refuses to’’.

He said while a number of witnesses have come forward and have provided valuable information, there were other witnesses within the bikie subculture “who could come forward to assist’’.

“They have knowledge from prior to and after the shooting which would support the evidence we have already got,’’ he said.

“This is an active case that continues to progress slowly, but steadily.’’

A $200,000 reward is now available for anyone providing information leading to a conviction in the case.