Graham ‘Munster’ Kinniburgh died in gangland shootout, court hears
THREE guns were fired in the shootout which killed Graham “Munster” Kinniburgh at Kew in December 2003, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard.
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CARL Williams confessed to police he organised the 2003 hit on underworld figure Graham “The Munster” Kinniburgh but wanted an indemnity against prosecution before signing a formal statement, a court heard on Tuesday.
Williams, who was himself murdered in prison in 2010, had been dealing with Petra Taskforce detectives to make a statement regarding the 2004 murders of police informer Terence Hodson and his wife, Christine, when he raised the Kinniburgh killing and allegedly identified those he tasked with carrying it out.
In interview notes read out at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, Detective Sergeant Sol Solomon recounted a conversation he had with Williams at Barwon Prison in December 2008.
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“He said the following: Stephen Asling and Terry Blewitt are the shooters; Blewitt is now dead; he (that is Carl Williams) provided the firearms and procured the homicide and will need an indemnity,” Sgt Solomon said.
“He also said he has further knowledge that he is willing to provide at a later time.”
Sgt Solomon said a statement did not proceed at that time because Williams wanted to see “how smoothly the process went” regarding his co-operation over the Hodson murders. The court heard covert prison recordings were also made of Williams’s conversations, but nothing further was identified relating to the Kinniburgh murder in Kew.
Stephen John Asling, 55, is facing a committal hearing over the murder of Kinniburgh, 62.
At least three guns were fired in the shootout, which killed Kinniburgh outside his home in Belmont Ave just after midnight on December 13, 2003, the court was told.
Police found one of the weapons, a cocked and loaded .45 calibre semiautomatic handgun, beside Kinniburgh’s body.
“He was lying on his back with his legs straight and both arms outstretched,” a statement by ballistics expert Sergeant Philip Stephens said.
“Resting on his right wrist was a pistol. The pistol was cocked but the slide was not fully closed.
The court heard Kinniburgh had been shot three times — to the head, shoulder and right thigh.
Evidence from the scene identified the .45 Colt found beside Kinniburgh had been fired, and 9mm Luger and 357 Magnum or .38 Special shots had also been fired.
The hearing, before magistrate Jan Maclean, continues.