NSW Police charge Luke ‘Fatboy’ Sparos in relation to Samer Marcus shooting

Police have made an arrest in their investigation into the “cowardly shooting” of a Sydney underworld figure.

Police will allege the attempted murder of underworld figure Samer Marcus last year was an execution hit in retaliation to a violent incident inside NSW jail in 2019.

Marcus, an alleged senior member of Assyrian crime gang DLASTHR (The Last Hour), was critically injured after he was shot multiple times in his chest, face and back at close range outside his parents’ home on Campbelltown Road, Denham Court, on November 6.

On Wednesday, convicted drug smuggler Luke “Fatboy” Sparos was taken to Surry Hills police station and charged with shooting at with intent to murder and tampering with evidence with intent to mislead a judicial tribunal.

Sparos was refused bail to appear at Central Local Court on Thursday.

Detective Superintendent Jason Weinstein said the alleged shooting was done in cold blood and had left Marcus, 45, a quadriplegic.

“Regardless of the victim‘s association with groups or otherwise, the reality is that we’ve got a victim, who now has lifelong injuries,” he said.

“Really, it’s a cowardly shooting, the male walked to a vehicle in his driveway with his wife, and whilst at the side of the vehicle, he was ambushed by a coward from behind who fired eight shots into his head, chest and legs.

“The only intent there is to murder that person.”

Superintendent Weinstein said police would allege the shooting was payback for a stabbing that occurred between Sparos and the victim at a NSW Correctional facility on the mid-north coast in July 2019.

“What we understand is the two individuals were known to each other and were actually close friends inside the correctional facility,” he said.

“For some reason, there was a dispute and the victim (Marcus) actually stabbed the (alleged) offender (Sparos), and that’s the motive that we say was for the shooting that occurred in November.”

As part of the investigation, Strike Force Raptor Squad also arrested a 29-year-old man at a home at Maroubra in February.

Marcus is alleged to be one of the founding members of Assyrian crime gang DLASTHR. Picture: supplied NSW Police

Police arrested the 29-year-old after releasing footage of a BMW seen in Denham Court around the time of the shooting.

Police will allege the man stole the BMW M4 from a home in Lilyfield, in Sydney’s inner west, in July last year, and it was subsequently used in the Denham Court shooting.

The 29-year-old will next appear at Central Local Court on May 25.

“From extensive canvassing of the area, the male offender has run through a paddock after the shooting into the BMW, which has then moved to a different location,” Superintendent Weinstein said.

“A Jeep after that point in time was used as a secondary vehicle.”

Marcus was shot twice last year.

The first was in June when he had a bullet in his head for three days before he took himself to hospital and was charged with concealing information from police after the incident.

Originally published as NSW Police charge Luke ‘Fatboy’ Sparos in relation to Samer Marcus shooting