Man charged over alleged Operation Ironside murder plot caught with disguise after stashing loaded gun nearby, court hears

A man arrested during Operation Ironside was caught at a “crucial moment” with disguises after hiding a loaded gun for an alleged bikie assassination attempt, a court has heard.

A man charged over an Operation Ironside murder plot was allegedly “caught at the crucial moment” with items of disguise after stashing a loaded revolver under a bush, a court has heard.

The 51-year-old southwestern-suburbs man, whose identity is suppressed, applied for release on home detention bail last week in the Adelaide Magistrates Court.

Prosecutors told the court the alleged intended victim owed a “significant debt” to the Comanchero bikie gang, and there had been two foiled attempts to kill him in May this year.

“The plan was to recover the debt along with murdering the victim,” the prosecutor told the court.

“The background to the offence involves a significant debt that was owed by (the victim) to the Comanchero criminal organisation.”

The court was told the accused was dropped off in Rosslyn Park on May 27, near where the men believed the victim lived.

At the time of the mass Operation Ironside arrests in June, police said the intended target did not even live at the address.

“(The accused) was seen to place an object under a bush and then proceeded to approach the victim’s house,” the prosecutor said.

“The police foiled the attempt by attending the scene.”

He said the accused had ducked into a nearby yard, about two doors down, where he was arrested in possession of “articles of disguise”, including a mask, balaclava and gloves.

“In a nearby bush police located a loaded revolver,” he said.

“He has been caught at the crucial moment, the second attempt by this organisation to carry out the plan.”

He told the court bail “in any shape or form” was opposed, given the man’s prior offending and the seriousness of the allegations.

Tim Clarke, for the man, said his client was not alleged to have been involved in the first attempt to attend the man’s house four days earlier.

Unlike many others arrested as part of the Operation Ironside police sting, Mr Clarke said his client was not alleged to have possessed or used an encrypted AN0M device, which were being secretly monitored by law enforcement.

“In order to establish the charges, the director will need to go well beyond my client’s mere attendance there,” Mr Clarke said.

Mr Clarke said the accused lived in a Housing Trust property that he may lose if he was not released from custody.

Magistrate John Wells ordered a home detention report and said he needed more information before making a decision on whether to release the accused on bail.

The accused man is expected to reappear in court later this month.

Originally published as Man charged over alleged Operation Ironside murder plot caught with disguise after stashing loaded gun nearby, court hears