Major Crime boss Des Bray signed reward letter to key witness as ‘inducement’, a court has heard
Major Crime boss Des Bray offered a key witness in the Jason De Ieso trial support for a $500,000 reward, jury told.
Police & Courts
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A $500,000 reward letter offered to the key witness in the murder trial of Jason De Ieso was the first ever signed by Major Crime boss Des Bray, a court has heard.
Detective Superintendent Bray, the officer in charge of the Major Crime Investigation Branch, gave evidence on Tuesday in the trial of eight bikie-linked men charged with the murder of Mr De Ieso in November 2012.
Supt Bray told the court he had not previously provided such a letter but it was requested by a detective to offer as “an inducement” to the key witness to supply information to police.
“This is the first time where I’ve had somebody ask me for a letter,” he said.
“I was very supportive of doing it because one, it demonstrated that we were serious with our intent and it also provided the opportunity for me to emphasise in there about being truthful, honest, complete co-operation.”
The letter, which offered support to the key witness if he was to apply for the reward in the event of a conviction, was provided in July 2019 in the weeks before police began arresting and charging a group of eight men with Mr De Ieso’s murder.
Supt Bray said anyone who provided information in this case could apply for the reward and that verbal reward offers were not uncommon in other matters.
He said each case was approached on its merits.
“It doesn’t matter if something hasn’t been done before, someone always has to be the first,” he said.
“In this particular case we had the circumstances of this death and it involved Hells Angels, a large number of people, people would have genuine fear for their lives, for their families, for their friends for the rest of their life if they were to co-operate and co-operation from some witnesses, especially if you’re connected to those people will be a life-changing event for you and your family if you co-operate.”
He said police believed the key witness could provide “crucial information about those that were directly involved with the murder” of Mr De Ieso.
The key witness earlier gave evidence in the trial that while he stood to be eligible for the reward he had “lost a lot more than I stand to gain” by giving evidence.
He had told the jury the money “would certainly help” but he had provided statements to police and given evidence in court because he “cared about the truth coming out”.
The eight accused men standing trial for Mr De Ieso’s murder are brothers Husain, Mohamed and Musa Alzuain, Ross Montgomery, Seywan Moradi, Daniel Jalleh, Kyle Pryde and Nicholas Sianis. They have each pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder.
Opening the trial in May, Jim Pearce KC told the jury Mr De Ieso was murdered amid an escalating bikie war between the Finks and Hells Angels. All eight men, except Musa Alzuain, are alleged to be Hells Angels members.
Mr Pearce said the alleged target of the attack was Charles Bonnici and that Mr De Ieso was an innocent bystander.
The trial is continuing.
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