Eight men accused of murdering innocent man Jason De Ieso could not have mistaken him for intended target, jury told
Eight bikie-linked men accused of murdering Jason De Ieso could not have mistaken him for their intended target – a senior Fink, a jury has heard.
Police & Courts
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It is not possible eight Hells Angel-linked men standing trial accused of killing innocent panel beater Jason De Ieso could have mistaken him for a senior Finks member – the alleged intended target of their attack, defence lawyers have claimed.
Beginning the defence closing remarks in the four-month-long murder trial, Winston Terracini KC told the Supreme Court jury the accused men could not have confused Jason De Ieso for Charles Bonnici because they “knew what he looked like”.
He urged the jury to consider whether the accused men – who are all alleged to be closely linked to the Hells Angels – could be responsible for Mr De Ieso’s murder when they “all knew Mr Bonnici, they knew what he looked like”.
He said his client, Husain Alzuain, 35, of Goodwood “definitely knew what he looked like”.
“If they were after Mr Bonnici how did they confuse the deceased man?” he said. “How could they make such a mistake?”
The jury has been told Mr Bonnici regularly worked at Mr De Ieso’s Pooraka panel beating workshop.
Mr De Ieso was gunned down at his Langford St, Pooraka, crash repair business on November 21, 2012, amid an escalating bikie war between the Finks and Hells Angels.
Mr Terracini urged the jury to put aside any feelings they have about bikies.
“No sane person is in favour of organisations that break the law, behave like hoodlums and go around terrorising people,” he said.
“It’s not about that, it’s about a specific case involving the sad death of a man that you have come to know, at least by name, and nothing else.
“It’s not about whether you like bikies, they are not going to win a popularity contest.”
He also refuted a prosecution suggestion the men had “lined up like a firing squad”.
Prosecutors allege Husain Alzuain led the group of men into the yard about 1.40pm before five of them pointed weapons into the workshop. Three of the weapons could be confirmed as having been fired because of the spent cartridges left at the scene.
The other seven other men standing trial alongside Husain Alzuain are: Mohamed Alzuain, 32, of Mile End, Musa Ali Alzuain, 30, of St Morris, Daniel Mark Jalleh, 34, of Clovelly Park, Ross William Montgomery, 38, of Andrews Farm, Seywan Moradi, 36, of Walkley Heights, Kyle Lloyd Pryde, 35, of Adelaide and Nicholas Sianis, 36, of Beverley.
A ninth man prosecutors allege was among the men has since died. All men have pleaded not guilty to murder.
The jury has heard the Hells Angels and Finks had been involved in several violent incidents in the 18 months before Mr De Ieso was killed, including a firebombing at the Alzuain family home the night before his death.
Prosecutor Jim Pearce, KC, has previously told the jury the group of men had a motive to retaliate because they needed to “uphold the reputation” of the Hells Angels, believing the Finks were responsible for the firebombing.
He told the jury when they consider all of the evidence – which includes the movements of the two cars used in the crime, telephone tower and call data, the key witness and DNA evidence – the “truth will fall into place”.
He said it was not possible for another parallel group to have killed Mr De Ieso.
“These things are not just coincidence, they are facts that established the guilt of these men,” he said.
“An innocent man was killed, that’s the truth of the matter.”
He said Mr De Ieso was owed the truth.
Mr Terracini is the first of the defence counsel for the eight accused men to deliver his closing address. The others will deliver their closing remarks before Auxiliary Justice Brian Martin sums up and the jury retires to consider its verdict.
The trial is continuing.
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