Noah Albert to name shooter of teen Omar Elomar during murder trial

A young man charged with the murder of a teenager in Sydney will name the mystery shooter who pulled the trigger, a court has heard.

A young man on trial for murder will reveal the identity of a mystery shooter who killed a teenager during a planned meet up between two “warring” groups in Sydney’s southwest last year, a court has heard.

Noah Albert has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Omar Elomar, who the NSW Supreme Court heard was shot dead within seconds of exiting his car in a quiet street in Miller on February 15, 2020.

The prosecution allege that Mr Elomar, 18, arrived at a park near Miller High School in one of three cars full of teens “armed to the teeth” with cricket bats, stumps and baseball bats seeking revenge over a fight involving family members the night before.

Omar Elomar, 18, was shot dead near a park at Miller, in southwest Sydney.

Texts messages revealed on the first day of Mr Albert’s trial describe him telling a boy involved in the previous fight he would “sort out” the situation.

However, the court was told on Wednesday he claims to have no knowledge an as-yet uncharged gunman who drove Mr Albert to the scene had brought with him the sawn-off shotgun used to kill Mr Elomar.

That is despite messages Mr Albert, then 18, sent in the hour before the incident, in which a friend urged him to “stay away” because Mr Elomar’s group would “have weapons”.

“Trust. It’s alright. Nah don’t they wanna bridge up and say shit about my mum. Word I’m gonna kill this dog I swear,” Mr Albert allegedly wrote.

His barrister, Paul Johnson, told the court that purported threat to kill “wasn’t meant literally”.

It was accepted by Crown prosecutor Sean Hughes that things said in the heat of the moment don’t always represent true intent, but he said the texts belied a “considerable hostility” on the part of Mr Albert.

Noah Albert was charged with murder on February 19, 2020.

Mr Hughes said a handprint on Mr Elomar’s Lexus showed Mr Albert was “in the thick” of the action when the victim was shot and it would be difficult to miss a 50cm-long shotgun being carried near him.

“It’s either that the accused agreed to participate in the killing of Omar Elomar … or that he knowingly entered into a joint criminal enterprise to assault, and indeed seriously assault, a group of men including Omar Elomar,” the prosecutor said. “And he contemplated the possibility of the firearm being used in the manner it was.”

Following the fatal shooting, the court heard Mr Albert told his friend over the phone “I think I killed the c***” and claimed in a face-to-face meeting he had shot Mr Elomar in the chest.

But the Crown believes he was lying about being the shooter, and Mr Johnson told the court Mr Albert had been threatened into silence about the gunman’s identity.

“That’s why he embarked on this series of falsehoods,” Mr Johnson said.

Omar Elomar died just after 11pm on Saturday, February 15 last year

Mr Johnson said his client would give evidence during the trial and name the alleged gunman, who can’t be identified for legal reasons. The weapon used to kill Mr Elomar has never been recovered.

The court heard that in an interview with corrective officers after his arrest Mr Albert claimed the gunman had “saved my life” as Mr Elomar had reached into his pants.

He did not see what Mr Elomar was reaching for but believed he was grabbing a weapon. He refused to name the shooter: “I’m not a snitch”.

Mr Albert, who was the only person charged over the alleged murder, claims he was pressured by family members of the person who pulled the trigger not to give their name to police.

“It’s the accused’s case and I anticipate he will give evidence … that at no point in time prior to hearing a shot discharged that he was ever aware that one of his number was armed with a shotgun,” Mr Johnson said.

Mr Johnson said his client had been on his mobile phone trying to “diffuse” the situation after learning some members of the rival group were related to a friend of his.

Mr Albert had only been by Mr Elomar’s car for 15 seconds before feeling with the group of three or four other men Mr Albert arrived with after the fatal shot was fired, the court heard he claims.

The judge-alone trial continues before Justice Ian Harrison.

Originally published as Noah Albert to name shooter of teen Omar Elomar during murder trial