Bilal Taha targeted in reprisal attack: inquest
Slain construction boss Bilal Taha was targeted in a reprisal attack during more tit-for-tat warfare in Sydney‘s southwest, the inquest into his death has been told.
Police & Courts
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Slain construction boss Bilal Taha was targeted in a reprisal attack during more tit-for-tat warfare in Sydney‘s southwest, the inquest into his death has been told.
An inquest was told yesterday Taha’s murder in December 2014 was no case of mistaken identity, as was initially suspected.
His murder outside his parents’ Condell Park home has been referred to the state’s unsolved homicide squad, as it can be revealed that he was shot five times in the back after answering the door on December 28, 2014.
“It is believed by investigators that the reprisal shooting was directed towards Bilal Taha,” the officer in charge, Detective Sergeant Tanya Byrne-Hickman, said in a statement.
She said that one man had been repeatedly named by callers to Crime Stoppers and other sources as the shooter and a sedan caught on CCTV at the shooting and driven by a “person of interest” has not been disposed of, according to RTA records.
“It is the view of investigators, in time, this matter can be solved using the right investigative strategies,” Det Sgt Byrne-Hickman’s statement said.
“Police believe many people in the community are aware who is responsible however are too frightened to provide a formal statement to police.
“No family member has provided any information in relation to who was responsible for the murder.”
The officer said Taha, who had his own construction company and helped out at weekends at Flemington Market on his dad’s stall selling tools, had little criminal history and was not well known to police.
It was family tradition to have dinner together on a Sunday evening and they had been drinking tea after the meal in their back garden when there was a knock in the front screen door, the inquest was told.
One of the family called on whoever was there to join them before Taha went to investigate.
He was gunned down in the driveway and died on the way to Liverpool Hospital.
Advocate assisting the coroner, Amanda Chytra, said a police strike force had employed numerous strategies but the shooting remained unsolved.
“I extend my sincere condolences to Bilal’s family for his loss both his death and the fact that the investigation has not been finalised,” Deputy state coroner Elaine Truscott said.
She referred the case to the unsolved homicide squad.
