Teen killer changes key evidence against murder co-accused
Two weeks ago, a 29-year-old man offered a tearful apology to the family of a teenage boy he murdered. Now he is facing being re-sentenced after reneging on a deal to give crucial evidence in exchange for a lighter sentence.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Grooming a killer: Puppetmaster and the young assassin
- Killer sentenced for teen’s ‘callous and unjustified’ murder
An assassin who shot a 15-year-old schoolboy in the head dramatically changed his evidence on Friday at the trial of the man who he had said ordered and paid for the killing.
The 29-year-old killer, who can’t be legally identified, had pleaded guilty to murdering teenager Brayden Dillon in 2017.
On July 24 he was afforded a 20 per cent discount on his sentence for providing information about the murder, which the judge said fell within the “worst category”, to police and agreeing to give evidence at future trials.
He was sentenced to a maximum of 40 years with a minimum of 30 years behind bars.
But on Friday, as the star witness in the NSW Supreme Court trial of Abdul Abu-Mahmoud for the murder of Brayden Dillon, the man stunned police and the prosecution by saying he wanted to withdraw his evidence and had only agreed to testify against Abu-Mahmoud to get a reduced sentence.
MORE FROM AVA BENNY-MORRISON:
Man accused of hiding assets in elderly mum’s name
Undercover drug op leads to sugar bust instead of cocaine
Abu-Mahmoud has pleaded not guilty to Brayden’s murder.
The assassin had originally told police, and pleaded guilty to the fact, that he accepted a $20,000 payment from Abu-Mahmoud to kill Brayden in a revenge hit.
According to the killer’s original testimony, Abu-Mahmoud had sought revenge for someone close to Brayden having played a role in his nephew’s stabbing death in 2016.
But the killer, who had made a tearful apology to Brayden’s family in court last month, claimed on Friday he lied for the purpose of receiving a reduced sentence.
“I was told to lie and think of myself,” he told the court yesterday.
“I was asked by other people ‘don’t worry, get out, think about yourself’ numerous times.”
The on Friday told the court he shot dead Brayden on his own because he had been friends with Abu-Mahmoud’s late nephew.
He denied Abu-Mahmoud gave him Brayden’s home address, a gun and directions to carry out the hit.
Crown prosecutor Richard Herps pointed out this was in contrast to what he told police in an interview at Goulburn’s Supermax jail and the statement of agreed facts which had governed his sentence.
“When did you mention that proposition that the accused asked you to kill Brayden Dillon?” Mr Herps asked.
The man replied: “For sentencing purposes”.
Mr Herps suggested the shooter “no longer wanted to co-operate with the prosecution in this matter” after the minimum 30-year jail sentence he received.
“I acted alone,” the killer replied.
The court heard it was the first time the shooter had put forward the proposition that he had acted alone.
Recounting a conversation in Condell Park after Brayden’s death, the killer claimed Abu-Mahmoud did not know he was going to kill Brayden.
“He said ‘don’t play games, I asked you not to do it, you said that weren’t and you still did’,” the shooter claimed in cross-examination.
The trial continues on Monday.