Conrad Craig, Abdul Abu Mahmoud appeal in Brayden Dillon execution

The hit man who executed an innocent teen in a gangland revenge attack should spend life in prison, police have told a court. It comes as the mastermind behing the teens's murder also pursues an appeal.

The hit man who executed an innocent teenager in a gangland revenge attack should spend life in prison, police have told a court, because he doublecrossed them and blamed criminal mastermind Bassam Hamzy for the shooting.

The revelation comes as the killer himself — Conrad Craig — has asked the state’s most powerful court to reduce his four decade prison sentence.

Craig kicked in the bedroom door of 15-year-old Brayden Dillon and put a bullet in the sleeping boy’s head in 2017.

His mother would later describe her trauma at finding her son’s blood sprayed across his room.

Brayden Dillon was shot dead in his sleep.

Brayden Dillon was killed in his Glenfield home.

Craig is asking the Court of Criminal Appeal to reduce the 40-year sentence saying Judge Ian Harrison should have given him less time.

But in an extraordinary cross appeal, police are asking the same court to increase Craig’s sentence to life.

They want Craig punished for breaking his promise to testify against known gangster Abdul Abu Mahmoud who was put on trial as the mastermind of the shooting.

Craig was supposed to give evidence against Abu Mahmoud in order to escape a life sentence for pulling the trigger, the court heard, but he changed his testimony on the stand.

“(Craig said) it was in fact Bassam Hamzy,” the Crown’s barrister told the court on Wednesday.

“He led the trial judge down a different path for a little while.”

Chief Justice Tom Bathurst bristled at the mention of Hamzy, urging the Crown to “be careful with names” as some members of the vast web allegedly involved in the slaying have yet to go on trial and others have been given pseudonyms.

Abu Mahmoud was found guilty of organising the murder despite Craig’s brief betrayal of police.

Conrad Craig is asking the Court of Criminal Appeal to reduce his sentence.

When Justice Harrison came to sentence Craig for his grave crime he said the hit man would still get his discounted sentence.

It’s uncontroversial that Craig pulled the trigger and ended Brayden’s life.

It’s also not disputed that the cold-blooded killing was retribution because Brayden’s brother had fatally stabbed Abu Mahmoud’s nephew in a brawl in self-defence.

And it’s accepted that Abu Mahmoud was a member of Bassam Hamzy’s violent Brothers For Life drug gang to which Craig had sworn allegiance.

But Hamzy’s role in the shooting has not yet been established in court and Abu Mahmoud maintains he is innocent.

Chief Justice Tom Bathurst suggested police had no legitimate gripe against Craig because his behaviour on the stand did not allow Abu Mahmoud to walk free.

Ultimately, he said prosecutors “were able to deploy what he provided” to get Abu Mahmoud convicted.

Justice Christine Adamson also seemed sceptical that the police should “get a refund” on Conrad because he delivered lies alongside fact.

“It’s churlish for the Crown to say we want a refund when Craig delivered — even when he delivered something else with the package,” she said.

Both Abu Mahmoud and Craig’s fates will be announced at later dates.

ABDUL ABU MAHMOUD SIGNALS APPEAL

Murder mastermind Abdul Abu Mahmoud is not going down quietly for the execution of Brayden Dillon with an appeal already taking shape.

Abu Mahmoud was found guilty of orchestrating the hit against the sleeping teenager in 2017.

The courts have ruled Conrad Craig pulled the trigger but Abu Mahmoud paid the hit man $20,000 to carry out his “revenge”.

Brayden’s older brother had fatally stabbed Abu Mahmoud’s younger nephew in self-defence in a brawl in Panania a year earlier and Abu Mahmoud’s gang connections were used to source Craig for the job.

But Abu Mahmoud has maintained his innocence since Brayden’s death saying he never masterminded the hit.

His high profile defence lawyer, Abbas Soukie, would not comment on the case ahead of sentencing but confirmed Abu Mahmoud was appealing his conviction.

The grounds of the appeal are not yet known but Abu Mahmoud has previously pointed the finger at his gang’s imprisoned boss Bassam Hamzy.

Abu Mahmoud is yet to be sentenced for Brayden’s murder but remains in custody.