Witness tells Jason De Ieso murder trial of Pooraka workshop horror

Eyewitnesses have told a jury of the near misses and shock as bullets were fired into Jason De Ieso’s Pooraka crash repair business.

An eyewitness to the alleged murder of Jason De Ieso has told a jury how he felt wind blow past his face and then “froze in shock” as bullets were fired into a Pooraka crash repair shop.

The man told the Supreme Court jury he recalled seeing a group of hooded men approaching the workshop and had noticed the “shine on the metal of a barrel” at lunchtime on November 21, 2012.

He initially thought it was part of “a joke”.

He said “it became real” after he saw men sitting at the lunch table of the workshop run for cover.

“They had fled the table and shots were fired,” he said.

“The first shot I recall hearing, I felt the wind pass my face,” he said.

“I tried to find cover.”

CCTV shows the moment guns were pointed toward Jason De Ieso’s Pooraka crash repair workshop in 2012. Picture: SA Police.

He said he fled “not very far” towards a corner and saw “someone fall to the ground”.

“I remember hearing like a bounce off of metal, bullets bouncing off the metal,” he said.

“I heard someone scream ‘get down, gun”.

He also recalled realising it was Mr De Ieso lying on the ground.

“I believe I tried to catch my breath, because I was a bit frozen in shock.”

The jury heard the man then called triple-0 and asked for an ambulance.

Another witness, who was also in the workshop at the time, told the court he ran behind a metal staircase in the workshop as bullets struck.

“I guess I narrowly missed a shot there,” he said.

He said he noticed “what looked to be about six or seven men … coming in with hoodies and sunglasses on”.

“I could see one of them brandish a weapon, a shotgun, so … some of us did actually run for cover as he fired shots,” the man said.

“I heard a loud shot and then when I was in the back toilet area I heard at least two more shots and then after that it went quiet.”

He said a man in a blue hooded jumper appeared to be carrying a ”sawn off shotgun of some type” and appeared to point it downwards.

“It seemed like he was pointing at the ground, possibly as a warning shot … It didn’t seem like he was particularly aiming at anyone at that time so at that point, that’s when I ran.”

The court has previously heard the man in the blue hooded jumper was alleged to be Musa Alzuain.

The court heard, that in the man’s statement to police, he said he heard two or three shots, and saw “blood pouring out” of Mr De Ieso’s head when he returned from hiding.

Jason De Ieso. Picture: Supplied.

“We didn’t know what to do with (Mr De Ieso) except tell him to keep breathing,” he said.

Eight men are standing trial charged with Mr De Ieso’s murder.

They are Husain Alzuain, 35, of Goodwood, Daniel Mark Jalleh, 34, of Clovelly Park, Musa Ali Alzuain, 30 of St Morris, Nicholas Sianis, 36 of Beverley, Mohamed Alzuain, 31, of Mile End, Seywan Moradi, 36, of Walkley Heights, Kyle Pryde, 34, of Adelaide and Ross Montgomery, 38, of Andrews Farm.

Each of the men has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder.

Prosecutors have alleged Mr De Ieso was shot amid a bikie war between the Hells Angels and Finks but was not the intended target. All of the accused men are alleged to be Hells Angels members, or closely associated with the gang.

Also on Wednesday, the jury were shown an unedited version of the CCTV footage depicting Mr De Ieso being shot. Previous versions of the footage shown to the jury had cut out prior to Mr De Ieso being hit.

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The footage depicts Mr De Ieso falling onto the ground after being shot, while other men in the workshop attempt to take cover.

The court heard the jury had requested to see the footage. It was tendered as part of the evidence of a ballistics expert, who referred to the movement of a spent cartridge which moved around the workshop floor before being kicked under a car by an officer rushing to the scene.

Auxiliary Justice Brian Martin told the jury the footage was “distressing” but they must put aside any feelings that may arise” from viewing the vision to ensure impartiality and “without being influenced at all by very natural emotions that arise”.

Earlier on Wednesday forensic pathologist Dr Cheryl Charlwood gave evidence about the autopsy conducted on Mr De Ieso and the wounds he suffered.

She told the jury she examined five wounds to Mr De Ieso’s head and that three projectiles were found during the autopsy.

The trial, before a jury of 15 people, is continuing.

Originally published as Witness tells Jason De Ieso murder trial of Pooraka workshop horror