Jury in Para Vista murder trial told mysterious ‘syndicate’ that runs drug houses could have been responsible for death of Urim Gjabri

A mysterious group operating drug houses across Adelaide could have been behind the murder of the man tending to their cannabis crop at a Para Vista home, a jury has heard.

A syndicate of mysterious figures who ran a Para Vista drug house could have been responsible for the beating death of the man tasked with maintaining the cannabis crop, a jury had heard.

After six weeks of evidence, a jury is hearing closing arguments in the trial of four men accused of robbing and killing Urim Gjabri in October 2018.

Benjamin John Mitchell, 33, Alfred Claude Rigney, 44, Matt Bernhard Tenhoopen, 25, and Aaron Donald Carver, 37, all pleaded not guilty to murder and are standing trial in the Supreme Court.

In his defence closing statement Bill Boucaut QC, for Carver, told the jury they might well have questions about who dealt the fatal blow that killed Mr Gjabri, an Albanian refugee who was hiding out from immigration authorities.

Mr Boucaut conceded the jury might find his client had gone to the house on Carousel Street to steal the large cannabis crop Mr Gjabri was tending, but said that was a long way from murder.

“It’s one thing to pinch some cannabis, it’s another to kill the man who grew it,” he said.

“You have to ask yourself, why would they have done it?”

Mr Gjabri could have survived in the drug house for as long as 24 hours after receiving the head wound that would eventually kill him.

The street where the body of Urim Gjabri was found on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. Picture: AAP / Matt Loxton

Evidence at the scene showed blood on top of cannabis detritus left when the crop was stolen.

The cannabis was allegedly loaded into the back of Mr Gjabri’s car and then swapped to a different car a few kilometres away.

Mr Boucaut described the house as a “highly organised, intense hydroponic grow house” and questioned whether one man alone would have been able to rig up the complicated electricity diversion scheme that ran the hydroponics.

“ (Mr Gjabri) might have had to explain to his syndicate colleagues that the cannabis was gone and that the car was gone,” he said.

“They might have been worried that there would be some police in the operation.

“If others were involved in this syndicate they might be very unhappy that their cannabis was taken.”

Aaron Donald Carver in custody as he is extradited from Queensland. Picture: Tom Huntley

The jury previously heard the cannabis had been transferred from Mr Gjabri’s car to another vehicle on Gilbert Street in Ingle Farm in the early hours of October 9.

Neighbours were woken by the group shouting at each other with one of the accused allegedly telling a resident to “f*** off” when they opened the door.

Mr Boucaut questioned whether this was the behaviour of a group of men who had just killed someone.

“They were carrying on like a pack of cowboys in Gilbert Street,” Mr Boucaut said.

“If they had killed someone they would have left the scene in a quite discreet manner.

“They wouldn’t have been yelling at each other and abusing the stickybeak neighbours.”

Tim Preston, for the prosecution, said in his closing address there was little possibility that some other group had killed Mr Gjabri.

The closing argument continue.

Accused Aaron Donald Carver (front in black jeans and shirt) and Benjamin John Mitchell (left in blue shirt) at the jury view at Carousel St. Picture: Tom Huntley

Originally published as Jury in Para Vista murder trial told mysterious ‘syndicate’ that runs drug houses could have been responsible for death of Urim Gjabri