Man found guilty of murdering Comanchero bikie gang member

COMANCHERO bikie Darko Janceski was working on a car when he was shot three times with a semiautomatic pistol by a motorcyclist wearing a balaclava in April 2012. Today Matthew Wiggins was found guilty of the brazen murder.

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May 16, 2018 - 6:16PM

NSW

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A MAN has been found guilty of murdering a Comanchero bikie gang member who was gunned down in broad daylight outside his family’s Wollongong home in 2012.

Matthew Paul Wiggins, 29, had pleaded not guilty in the NSW Supreme Court to murdering Darko Janceski, 32, and causing grievous bodily harm to his father, Slobodan Janceski.

Darko Janceski was shot dead outside his family’s home.

A jury was discharged in December after failing to reach verdicts but today a second jury found Wiggins guilty of both charges.

Earlier in 2017, a first trial was aborted for legal reasons.

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Darko Janceski was working on a car when he was shot three times with a semiautomatic pistol by a motorcyclist wearing a balaclava in April 2012.

His father ran outside to help and picked up a metal garden stake while racing after the assailant.

Matthew Wiggins has been found guilty of murder. Picture: Richard Dobson

Darko Janceski was a Comanchero bikie gang member.

But the former professional boxer suffered a broken nose, a shattered jaw and a fractured eye socket in an ensuing fight before the assailant fled — leaving his gun behind.

The father also knocked off the shooter’s helmet and sunglasses and both items were later linked to Wiggins through DNA testing, the jury was told.

Police and SES volunteers search a reserve after Darko Janceski was shot dead.

The prosecution contended Wiggins carried out the execution to avenge his missing friend, Goran Nikolovski.

The friend, along with Darko Janceski, were allegedly standover men for people involved in the drug trade.

Mr Nikolovski’s body has never been found but his burnt-out car was discovered in bushland days after he went missing in October 2011.

Father Slobodan Janceski was assaulted. Picture: Richard Dobson

Darko Janceski was working on a car when he was killed.

Jurors were told Darko Janceski was rumoured to be involved with his disappearance, and is suspected of setting his own house on fire to destroy evidence.

Janceski had survived a similar shooting attempt on his life less than three months before he died. He stayed at his parent’s house after being released from hospital.

Justice Megan Latham adjourned the case to June 28 for a sentence hearing.