Oakleigh East shooting: Father, sons face charges
A vengeful father allegedly shot a man over DJ equipment stolen from his sons’ party business, storming the property after the gear was spotted on Gumtree, a court has heard.
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A vengeful father shot dead a man at an Oakleigh East property after going there to reclaim DJ equipment stolen from his sons’ party hire business, a court has heard.
Tony Panagiotou, 56, allegedly stormed the property with a sawn off shotgun on Saturday with his two baton-wielding sons, George, 22, and John, 18, after they had seen the equipment being advertised for sale on Gumtree.
The raid came hours after the family made two reports to police about the stolen property.
Mr Panagiotou, from Doncaster East, has been charged with murdering Duane Hutchings, 44, inside the home.
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His sons — and their friend Jonathon Atalalis, 24 — face charges of aggravated home invasion, assault with batons, and recklessly and intentionally cause injury.
The four accused faced Melbourne Magistrates Court today where it was alleged they pretended to be a would-be buyer by the name “Steve”, contacting a woman who had placed the online ad and arranging to look at the items around 5am.
The court heard one of the Panagiotou brothers first went into the Clayton Rd property on his own so the alleged victims would not recognise Mr Atalalis, who originally dropped off the equipment when it was hired earlier in the week.
Once confirmed the serial numbers matched the equipment, valued at up to $30,000, of their Love It Loud party hire business, he went outside and returned armed with the co-accused, the court heard.
The woman who placed the ad was househitting at the property, and told police Mr Hutchings was a friend who arrived at the home at 4.40am.
She said “six to seven” people barged in and launched an attack on Mr Hutchings with metal poles and batons, before an older man drew a gun and, standing 5m away, fired a single shot, hitting him in the head.
She said the perpetrators told her to not call police for at least five minutes as they fled. She called Triple 0 at 5.20am.
The court heard John Panagiotou, along with his mother, Mary, first attended the Doncaster police station to report the equipment had not been returned at 7.15pm on Friday.
At 11.30pm, he returned to the police station, along with his co-accused, to report he believed the items were being sold online.
But they went on to take matters into their own hands the next morning, the court heard.
Opposing bail for John Panagiotou, homicide squad detective Megan Adams told the court they have not been able to trace the weapons used.
Det Adams also said there may be further co-accused with the female witness describing “six to seven” perpetrators, so there was potential more people would be charged.
Magistrate Constantinos Kilias refused bail, troubled the gun remained in the community.
“I remind myself it’s a sawn off shotgun, not someone’s hunting gun,” Mr Kilias said.
“Whilst that firearm or any potential co-accused are out in the community I will not be granting bail.”
Mother of four Mary Panagiotou was visibly distressed throughout the hearings, sobbing as she watched her husband and two sons taken back into custody.
All four were remanded to face court again on June 3.