Ameer Jarrar avoids jail over Oakleigh East attack

A man who was involved in an attack at an Oakleigh East home that left a dad dead over unreturned DJ equipment has learnt his fate.

Father of five Duane Hutchings was fatally shot during the attack.

A young man who was involved in a horrific group attack at an Oakleigh East home which left a father of five dead over unreturned DJ equipment has avoided jail.

Ameer Farid Jarrar, 20, was sentenced to a three-year Community Corrections Order with 300 hours’ community work before the County Court on Wednesday, having pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary and causing injury recklessly.

Jarrar was one of six men who stormed an Oakleigh East unit and set upon 46-year-old Duane Hutchings just before 5.30am on February 9, 2019.

The court heard Jarrar and another man punched Hutchings, while some of the men allegedly bashed him with metal batons and bars.

One man then allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Hutchings in the head, before the group grabbed the DJ equipment they’d gone to the unit to retrieve and fled.

Hutchings, the father of five children, died in hospital about an hour later.

The court heard the group had gone to recover DJ equipment that had been hired by the woman staying at the unit.

The equipment had not been returned and the owners believed it had been stolen and was going to be sold.

Mr Hutchings was a friend of the woman who was visiting her during the attack and not involved with the equipment.

Jarrar, who was 18 at the time, was arrested on March 6, 2019.

Judge Wilmouth said the aggravated confrontational burglary was extremely serious and had led to “a terrible tragedy”.

The court heard the attack was premeditated, but Jarrar had not been aware of the plans.

“You did not know in advance of any plan to assault anyone,” Judge Wilmouth said.

He had been drinking at Doncaster’s Cherry Hill Tavern with Marc Amad, when one of the co-offenders called Amad and pushed for him to come with him to get the DJ equipment.

Jarrar, who had drunk a lot of alcohol, had agreed to go with Amad.

“You were the last to agree to go and your role was the most peripheral,” the Judge said.

Judge Wilmouth said while Jarrar had not been armed, he was complicit in injuring Hutchings because he knew the others were armed.

He had not been aware a gun was being brought to the scene.

The court heard Jarrar had no prior convictions and had prior good character, attested to by references from his family, friends, tennis coach and employers.

It was heard the Box Hill marketing student was hoping to start his own business, had done voluntary work teaching English online to children in India and had written an apology letter to the court.

Judge Wilmouth said Jarrar posed little risk of offending again in any way and that prison would expose him to negative influences.

The court heard Amad had been given the same sentence as Jarrar.

One other of the six men had also been sentenced, while several others were awaiting trial over the incident.