Nabil Maghnie’s ‘bizarre’ crash defence
Bikie-linked figure Nabil Maghnie has revealed his “bizarre” defence after he allegedly smashed his Range Rover, travelling at more than 200 km/hr, north of Melbourne. It happened just weeks after the Love Machine killings, which his son has been accused of.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Underworld figure Nabil Maghnie will mount a “bizarre” defence against a drug induced car crash, claiming he was too intoxicated to be held accountable.
Mr Maghnie — whose son has been charged with two counts of murder over the Love Machine nightclub shooting — was struggling to speak, stumbling about and his “eyeballs were black” moments after he smashed his 4WD into another vehicle according to eye witnesses.
The court heard the bikie-linked father had high levels of illicit drugs, including cocaine, and alcohol in his system when he crashed his Range Rover at 209km/h in Woodstock on May 25.
Maghnie will argue his actions were “not voluntary”, because he was so heavily intoxicated.
Magistrate Donna Bakos said it was a bizarre, albeit “interesting defence”.
Maghnie, 43, fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on the same day his accused son Jacob Elliott was appearing in court for matters unrelated to the Prahran drive-by shooting.
The father and son would have come face-to-face in court if not for a custody mishap which meant Elliott, 18, did not get on the prison van this morning.
The court heard the alleged teen killer is facing further charges, including conspiring to commit offences, arising from intelligence gathered form telephone intercepts and listening devices used during the Love Machine investigation.
Details of the fresh charges are unclear.
Elliott is charged with the shooting murder of nightclub security guard Aaron Osmani and patron Richard Arow on April 14.
Meanwhile, during Maghnie’s brief appearance the court heard eight witnesses will be called to give evidence about his impaired state at a contested hearing next year, including the driver of the car he allegedly ploughed into.
The man told police Maghnie was struggling to form sentences and “looked like he was off his face” after the crash.
Maghnie told the man the driver of the speeding vehicle had “run away”, according to the man’s witness statement.
“I said that’s bullshit, you were driving … we got in an argument about him nearly killing us,” the witness statement said.
He told police Maghnie then chased him and tried to hit him, the court heard.
Other witnesses will give evidence of Maghnie slipping in and out of consciousness and 15 minutes of bodycam footage will be played to the court.
Eye witnesses also reported Maghnie repeated his claims he was not the driver.
MORE NEWS
POLICE HUNT HITMAN OVER MOKBEL MATE SLAYING
MELBOURNE GETS EARLY HIT OF SUMMER
Magistrate Bakos questioned whether these claims pointed to a “consciousness of guilt”.
Maghnie’s lawyer said his client had since conceded he was the driver of the car and will not contest the cause of the collision.
He has been charged with eight offences including reckless conduct endangering life, drug driving, theft.
He also faces one count of perverting the course of justice for naming his co-accused passenger as the driver.
He will return to court on July 1 for a one day committal hearing.