Prosecution closing addresses in Jason De Ieso murder trial, alleges accused men lined up ‘like a firing squad’

Four men allegedly murdered innocent man Jason De Ieso when they lined up and fired into his workshop – but were trying to kill a rival bikie, a court has heard.

Four men lined up at the entrance to a panel beating workshop “like a firing squad” and killed an innocent bystander amid a bikie war, a court has heard.

Prosecutor Jim Pearce KC began his closing address into the long-running murder trial of eight men – each of whom are closely linked to the Hells Angels – accused of murdering Jason De Ieso at his Pooraka business on November 21, 2012.

Innocent bystander Jason De Ieso was shot dead in his Pooraka shop in 2012. Picture supplied by family

The court has heard Mr De Ieso was not the intended target of the murder, but an innocent bystander “caught in the crossfire”.

Mr Pearce said sergeant at arms of the northern chapter of the Finks, Charles Bonnici, was the man the men had intended to harm.

He said the men had arrived at the workshop two small white cars – one of them, which belonged to a woman linked to the accused, was later found torched – after first attending and unleashing an attack on staff at Mr Bonnici’s northern suburbs tattoo parlour, Lords of Ink.

Mr Pearce said five of the men were carrying weapons, three of which could be confirmed as having been fired because of the spent cartridges and bullets left at the scene.

He said there could be no doubt the men intended to kill when they approached the workshop, donned in hoodies pulled over their heads and wearing gloves.

He said the shots were fired “without warning”.

“Four of them lined up like a firing squad,” he said.

He said the man alleged to have fired the fatal shot, Musa Alzuain, had pointed a sawn-off shotgun “targeted at a man’s head from close range”.

CCTV showing some of the men entering the workshop in 2012. Picture: SAPOL

The accused: (back row) Kyle Pryde, Nicholas Sianis, Seywan Moradi, (centre) Mohamed Alzuain, Musa Alzuain, Husain Alzuain, (front), Daniel Jalleh and Ross Montgomery. Picture: Timothy Ide

The eight accused standing trial are: Husain Alzuain, 35, of Goodwood, 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.

Mr Pearce told the jury this particular group of mean – all of whom are members of the Hells Angels except Musa Alzuain – had motive to retaliate after a firebombing at the Alzuain family home the night before that “needed to be addressed” to “uphold the reputation” of the Hells Angels because they suspected the Finks responsible.

He said the accused men had allegedly acted “accordance with the club culture” after 18 months of violence between the warring gangs, which began with a nightclub brawl on Hindley St in May 2011. The events that followed included drive-by shootings, other brawls and the shooting of the son of a Fink member.

He said given such a large group of men were had approached Mr De Ieso’s workshop they must have had an “unwavering connection” and a “confidence that none of their number would report their activity to police” – which was relevant to the proof of who the alleged murderers were.

“It makes it more likely that those that carried out this killing were part of a group that had great trust in each other, who accepted violence, who had a strict code of silence among their group,” he said.

“They are all characteristics of an outlaw motorcycle club.”

At the conclusion of Mr Pearce’s closing remarks, defence counsel for each of the men will also deliver their closing addresses.

The trial continues.