One of the men accused of gunning down an underworld figure said he nearly mistook a neighbour for the target after smoking heroin as he lay in wait, a jury has heard.
Mejid Hamzy was shot four times outside his Condell Park home, in south-west Sydney, about 7.30am on October 19, 2020.
Bryce Mark Williams is accused of being one of two shooters who fired a hail of 14 bullets then fled after staking out Hamzy’s home for roughly two hours.
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Despite fatal wounds to the torso and injuries to his arm and leg, the victim managed to run around 50 metres before collapsing.
In a recorded conversation, Williams allegedly revealed former Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle ordered the hit on Hamzy over the theft of 400kg of drugs.
As Williams’ murder trial got underway in the NSW Supreme Court yesterday, a jury heard one of the shooters’ hoods fell down as they fled through a reserve.
It revealed blond hair matching Williams’ colour and style, the court was told.
Crown prosecutor Katharine Jeffreys said a witness, who cannot be legally identified, would give evidence they recognised Williams after the footage was made public.
Recorded conversations between the witness and Williams would make up a key part of the prosecution case, including what are alleged to be admissions to the shooting.
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During the conversations, the pair referred to the other alleged gunman, Christopher O’Brien, as “Big Fella”, the jury was told.
Williams allegedly told the witness he spent all of the money he received for the shooting within six weeks on “hookers, hotels and heroin” in Queensland.
In another of the meetings, the witness asked Williams about the shooting, saying: “Did the c— just drop?”
Williams replied: “Nah nah nah, he ran.”
He added he shot Hamzy three times and O’Brien shot him once – information that prosecutors said had not been released to the public at the time.
“I thought I missed him,” Williams said during the recorded conversation.
He also said he had been smoking heroin while he was waiting for Hamzy to come out and had almost mistaken someone else for the target, the jury heard.
“I’m smoking f—— gear, so I’m f—— half asleep,” Williams said in a recording.
“Nearly got his f—— neighbour.”
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Jeffreys said the court was expected to hear Hamzy’s neighbour left his house to go to a bakery about 6.30am, information also not publicly released at that time.
But defence barrister Nicole Carroll said the prosecution lacked evidence linking Williams to the shooting, including a motive.
“It would not be in dispute that Williams was a heavy heroin user, but he made the comments to the witness for the purpose of getting more money and drugs from him”, she said.
“They are not admissions by the accused because he was the shooter,” Carroll said.
“They are words said by a drug addict who was absolutely desperate for his next hit of heroin.”
Carroll described the witness’s evidence as “controversial”, noting they had been facing charges for kidnapping and agreed to help police in exchange for significant benefits.
The trial continues.
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