Comanchero recruited hitmen accused of lying in wait with handgun for victim in Rosslyn Park

Two men allegedly recruited by bikies to gun down a drug dealer over perceived “disrespect” lay in wait in Adelaide’s east for their victim before being spooked by police, a court has heard.

Two men allegedly armed with a handgun lay in wait in a stolen car in Adelaide’s east for the target of a planned gangland hit for more than three hours before being spooked by police, a court has heard.

The two men are among a group of people with alleged links to the Comanchero Motorcycle Gang arrested as part of Operation Ironside and charged with conspiracy to murder.

Last week, one of the men applied for bail in the Supreme Court and, for the first time, police allegations of the first planned attack on the victim were revealed.

Neither of the two men are alleged to be members of the Comanchero nor to have had encrypted AN0M phones which police were secretly monitoring as the key to Ironside.

However, both are charged with conspiracy to murder and participation in a criminal organisation.

Justice Adam Kimber heard that prosecutors allege the target owed a drug debt to a senior member of the Comanchero who had come under fire for not acting to recover the money.

The court heard that messages sent over the encrypted AN0M app and allegedly linked to senior members of the Comanchero showed there was a perception of being disrespected by the known drug dealer.

The court heard that members of the gang surveilled a house in Rosslyn Park where they wrongly believed the target was living.

Messages and photos sent over the app are alleged to show the gang sourcing and then testing a handgun in preparation.

On May 23, 2021 the two men are accused of picking up a stolen Holden Rodeo with false number plates which had been left at the Seaton Ramblers Football Club.

Police surveilled the two men attending a Comanchero gang member’s house before going to an address “near The Parade” in Rosslyn Park, the court heard.

Police monitored the men for three hours before the men spotted the officers and abandoned the ute before catching a taxi back to the gang member’s house, prosecutors allege.

The court heard that inside the car there were “incriminating items” and the pair had been given instructions to torch the car after they were finished with it.

Prosecutors allege the two men had the firearm with them which was then returned to the gang member.

The court has previously heard that there was an alleged second attempt on the man’s life when the same gun was stowed in some bushes near the house.

The prosecutor said the intended target of the hit did not live in Rosslyn Park at the time of the two attempts.

Justice Kimber will make a decision on the bail application later this month.