Court hears bikie Rocco Curra thought he was meeting a woman in the street where he was shot
Rocco Curra’s car was sprayed with bullets while he sat in the driver’s seat, but the bikie miraculously survived the alleged attempt on his life. Now the alleged reason why he was parked in the suburban street has been revealed.
Police & Courts
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A fake Instagram account of an attractive woman was set up to lure a Mongols bikie to his supposed death, a court has heard.
Rocco Curra was allegedly ambushed by two gunmen from the rival Finks bikie gang after believing he was meeting a “pretty” woman by the name of “Sarah Riccardo” who had befriended him on the social media site a month earlier.
As Mr Curra, 32, pulled up at the meeting point on Bourke St in Bulleen about 10.15pm on August 1 last year, he messaged his ‘date’ who replied “I’m coming out”.
Within 30 seconds, a stolen silver BMW swept in front of his stationary car and two men armed with 9mm handguns allegedly climbed out and opened fire.
Twelve shots were fired into the vehicle, four striking Mr Curra in the head and torso.
He miraculously survived, but had to undergo emergency surgery to remove a bullet from his brain.
Finks members Sione Hokafonu, 26, from Clyde North, and Ali Hussein, 24, from Mickleham, were charged in January with his attempted murder.
The details of the alleged attempted hit on Mr Curra were aired in Melbourne Magistrates Court as Mr Hokafonu applied to be freed on bail.
Detective Senior Constable Daniel Ruggiero, from the bikie-busting Echo Taskforce, told the court the Instagram page was set up by Mr Hussein’s partner, Athar Almatrah as a ruse.
He said Ms Almatrah was friends with Mr Curra on Facebook and Instagram.
The court heard Mr Curra even sent her a screenshot of Ms Riccardo’s Instagram account expressing his concerns he was “a bit suss about this Sarah girl”.
“She’s keen to see me and all,” he wrote.
“Oh, is she? That’s a bit cute,” Ms Almatrah replied, before vouching for Ms Riccardo, claiming they had met and that she was a “good girl”.
Det Ruggiero said the Instagram account of Ms Riccardo was deactivated the day after the alleged shooting.
He vehemently opposed Mr Hokafonu being released on bail, saying he has a violent criminal history and investigators feared he would interfere with witnesses, commit further offences on bail, and endanger the lives or safety of the public.
Philip Dunn, QC, for Mr Hokafonu, submitted any risks could be alleviated with strict conditions including a curfew, reporting daily to police, a non-association clause with other bikie members, not driving a vehicle and only having one phone.
A $400,000 surety was also offered.
Magistrate Tara Hartnett reserved her decision to Friday.
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