Revesby shootout: Fayez Kaanan and Bellal Ammouri allegedly stonewall case
Two men implicated in a western Sydney shootout have faced court, defending three charges that carry long prison sentences if convicted.
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Two men allegedly invovled in a gun shootout in a western Sydney yard are accused of stonewalling the police’s investigation, preventing the recovery of a dangerous firearm.
Fayez Kaanan, 22, and Bellal Ammouri, 31, appeared in Bankstown Local Court today.
The men were allegedly involved in a shooting outside a Revesby home just after midnight on November 25.
Police allege the men were at the property when three unknown men armed with rifles and a shotgun jumped the back fence of a home in Marco Ave and threatened Kaanan, Ammouri and two other occupants.
The court heard one of the occupants, a 35-year-old resident, grabbed a 0.45 calibre rifle and fired several shots at the attackers, prompting them to flee.
The three alleged attackers, whose faces were covered, have not been identified and the police have appealed to the public for help.
Police allege Kaanan and Ammouri failed to co-operate — or continue co-operating — with their investigation, resulting in the 0.45 calibre firearm still being circulated in the community.
“The three men … immediately had a discussion captured on sound and CCTV of the disposal of the (firearm),” magistrate Glenn Walsh said.
“It has not been found. It is still in the community.”
Both Kaanan and Ammouri have been charged with accessory after the fact to an offence — shoot with intent to murder, a charge that carries a maximum prison sentence of 25 years if they are convicted.
They also face charges of hinder investigation and conceal serious indictable offence.
The prosecution said the two men tried to assist in the disposal of the 0.45-calibre weapon, a gun described as a highly dangerous weapon.
The court was told Kaanan has a record of lying to authority, and that much of what he told them was debunked by CCTV footage.
They said Ammouri had initially co-operated with police by providing a signed statement, but that he has stopped helping their investigation since.
“(Ammouri) has assisted, but not completely, and it’s the lack thereof … that leaves him very much in the realm of someone who faces a full-time custodial sentence,” the prosecutor said.
Kaanan’s defence lawyer argued “he was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” and that his “primary offence is not to have told police what he knew”.
Ammouri’s defence lawyer said his client had signed a statement acknowledging shots had been fired from within the house. Neither defendant has a criminal history, the court heard.
Mr Walsh said Kaanan and Ammouri could help police recover the firearm by telling them what they know.
“There’s a 0.45-calibre weapon somewhere in the community,” he said. “It can only be associated with an unlawful purpose that puts the community at danger.”
He described the prosecution’s cases against Kaanan and Ammouri as strong, and said their failure to co-operate would disqualify their release on bail.
“(Kaanan) was in a unique position to disclose about the highly dangerous 0.45-caliber weapon,” Mr Walsh said.
“He misled police, lied to them, (and that does not) give me any confidence whatsoever that his release is justified.”
He said Ammouri was required to provide ongoing assistance to police.
“He has not, or is not giving that ongoing assistance. It is a continuing offence.”
Both of their bail applications were refused, and they will present to Bankstown Local Court on March 11 along with their co-accused.