Supreme Court visits Adelaide High School car park where drug dealer Victor Codea was allegedly murdered by four men
Victor Codea’s four alleged murderers have returned to the scene of the crime – in handcuffs – as the last moments of his life are detailed for a court.
Police & Courts
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Handcuffed, walking single file and surrounded by police, prison guards and court sheriff’s officers, Victor Codea’s four alleged murderers have returned to the scene of the crime.
On Tuesday the Supreme Court shifted venues to Adelaide High School, and shut down a portion of West Terrace in the city, to see where Mr Codea was ambushed in August 2020.
Thomas Nichols, 31, and Kain Mazomenos, 26, emerged from the prison van and approached the school’s car park, just off West Terrace.
Prosecutors allege that, as Mr Codea sat in his car, the duo approached the driver’s side door and punches were thrown at his head.
The assault was so quick and brutal, prosecutors allege, that Mr Codea, 24, did not have time to defend himself nor even remove his seatbelt.
They were followed by Thomas Pinnington, who prosecutors allege kicked Mr Codea three times in the head through the passenger’s side door.
Those kicks were so forceful, they allege, that Mr Pinnington left his handprints on the roof of Mr Codea’s car and left the school with his victim’s DNA ground into his shoe.
The final member of the quartet, drug dealer Jeremy Dale Sandell, 25, denies murdering Mr Codea but has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Prosecutors allege he instigated the “ferocious” ambush, believing Mr Codea – also a drug dealer – had been posting bad online reviews of Sandell and his product.
They further allege he was in the car with Mr Codea prior to the attack in order to lure him to the school, and that the other three men were waiting across the road.
Justice Adam Kimber was shown a fire hydrant outside the On The Run service station where, prosecutors allege, the trio parked and waited for Mr Codea to arrive.
He was also shown a set of bushes south of the school’s car park from where, prosecutors allege, a terrified eyewitness watched the beating.
That woman – whose identity is suppressed – was allegedly in the car with Mr Codea and Sandell before the attack, and ran and hid once it began.
One of the four men, prosecutors allege, yelled out to her: “Don’t worry, this isn’t about you.”
On Tuesday, Major Crime detectives drove a car of the same size and make as Mr Codea’s vehicle into the car park, for the court to use as reference.
It was parked in the same spot where Mr Codea was allegedly boxed in by Mr Mazomenos, Mr Nichols and Mr Pinnington.
That spot is in full view of one of the school’s CCTV cameras but, the court has heard, it was not operating on the night of the ambush.
As a result, there is no footage of the incident itself – police have, however, compiled video from dozens of other cameras as part of the evidence in the trial.
The trial continues on Wednesday, when the eyewitness is expected to give evidence.
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