Closing submissions in Matthew Charles Draganoff trial over the alleged murder of Simon Middleton

He’s accused of shooting his tenant dead but lawyers claim the key witness can’t be believed and CCTV footage of the killer shots is too grainy to prove it was him.

The man who allegedly shot his tenant three times cannot be proved to be the murderer as a key witness can’t be believed, his lawyer claims.

Matthew Charles Draganoff, 44, is standing trial in the Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to murdering Simon Middleton on March 8, 2021.

In her closing submissions on Tuesday, Michelle Barnes, for Mr Draganoff, told the court the prosecution hadn’t proved her client was the shooter.

She said the CCTV footage of the shooting was poor quality and the jury couldn’t make any identification about the shooter.

“It’s dark and quite grainy vision,” she said.

“It’s difficult to see any detail … you must certainly can’t see any identifying facial features.”

Ms Barnes also claimed one of the key trial witnesses was not truthful in his evidence.

The key witness had claimed that he drove Mr Draganoff to the Gawler River church after the alleged shooting where he said he threw the gun against the fence line, as well as burying ammunition under a tree.

He then said when he drove Mr Draganoff back to his house he gave him all the clothes he’d been wearing and told him to burn them.

However, Ms Barnes said there were too many inconsistencies in the witness’ evidence, including getting the number of bullets found at the church significantly wrong and that CCTV didn’t show him collecting Mr Draganoff’s clothes from him.

Ms Barnes said the witness’ evidence couldn’t be believed, due to “the lies, the inconsistencies, the changing of his story (and) the lack of evidence to corroborate”.

Matthew Charles Draganoff has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Simon Middleton. Picture: LinkedIn via NCA NewsWire

Simon Middleton was shot dead on March 8, 2021. Picture: SA Police

Lucy Boord KC, prosecuting, told the court in her opening statement that Mr Draganoff allegedly fired three shots at Mr Middleton with a high powered rifle at Virginia.

The shots hit Mr Middleton to the head, the chest and the buttocks, with the shots to the head and chest killing him.

“It’s the prosecution case that the accused had the means, the opportunity and importantly the motive to kill the deceased,” Ms Boord said.

Ms Boord said “the catalyst” for the alleged murder related to an incident on March 6, 2021.

The court heard Mr Draganoff had arranged for a man to keep watch on the property where Mr Middleton was living.

“(The man) contacted the accused and told him that the deceased and some of his friends had attended the property armed and were stealing some goods from that address,” Ms Boord said.

The trial, before a jury, continues.

Originally published as Closing submissions in Matthew Charles Draganoff trial over the alleged murder of Simon Middleton