Tobias Sahlstorfer revealed as Hells Angels member standing trial over Mark Boyce murder

The man standing trial accused of the bashing murder of Mark Boyce can be revealed as a Hells Angels bikie club member.

An alleged murderer standing trial before the Supreme Court accused of being the “main protagonist” in the fatal bashing of an innocent man can be revealed a Hells Angels member Tobias Sahlstorfer.

Mr Sahlstorfer, 34, of Gulfview Heights, was allegedly one of three men who set upon Mark Boyce while looking for another man on January 30, 2017.

His identity and alleged ties to the Hells Angels was suppressed after his arrest in order to prevent any prejudice to a potential jury. He has since elected to stand trial by judge alone, in the absence of a jury.

On Wednesday, Justice Laura Stein, who is presiding over the trial, lifted the suppression orders relating to Mr Sahlstorfer, allowing him to be identified.

He is the second man to stand trial accused of Mr Boyce’s murder after another man, Joshua Roy Grant, was found guilty of his murder in 2019 and sentenced to 20 years’ jail.

During Mr Sahlstorfer’s trial, the court has heard Mr Boyce, 36, was subjected to a 30-second bashing near his home on Hill St, Elizabeth South, about 10.40pm and died in hospital a week later, on February 8, 2017.

Mark Boyce was bashed outside his home at Elizabeth South on January 30, 2017. Pic: SA Police

Accused murderer Tobias Sahlstorfer. Picture: Supplied

The court has heard a lift had been arranged for another man and Mr Boyce planned to go with him, but when the lift arrived the other man noticed two other cars – a blue Toyota Echo and silver RAV4 – approaching and hid on Mr Boyce’s roof.

In his opening address on Monday, Jim Pearce KC, said Mr Boyce then “walked into an ambush” which was “as short as it was brutal”.

Mr Pearce said Mr Boyce had run off after telling the men who arrived in the two cars that he did not know the whereabouts of the other man, but was soon caught and set upon.

“Mr Boyce was not the intended target of that ambush,” he said.

“He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

On Wednesday, a man who was inside Mr Boyce’s house said he was told Mr Boyce had “been bashed” and “kicked in” so went outside to see what happened.

“The only thing I seen was Mark on the floor … there was no one else … he was unconscious,” he said.

The remains of a Toyota Echo police say was found burnt and buried at Ponde. Picture: 10 News First Adelaide

Tobias Sahlstorfer. Picture: Supplied

He also told the court he heard “footsteps” on the roof and assumed it was the intended target on the roof.

The court heard the alleged intended target had been “muttering” as he came down from the roof, including about another man.

That man, who said he has previously had an issue with the intended target over the theft of a car, gave evidence that he had previously had a “tiff through the window” and had punched him but that had been years earlier. He said he had not had dealing with him since.

He said he did not know Mr Boyce or anything about his death.

The court earlier heard Mr Sahlstorfer owned a blue Toyota Echo which was found cut up, burnt out and buried under 4m of “compacted sand” at a Hells Angels stronghold at Ponde, near Mannum.

The trial is continuing.