分类： society

The trial of two Sydney men accused of carrying out a brazen, publicly executed contract killing of an underworld figure in Melbourne has gotten underway at Victoria’s Supreme Court, with jurors hearing startling details of the pre-planned attack and the aftermath.

On a bright Saturday afternoon in September 2023, 50-year-old Gavin Preston, a known figure in Australian criminal underworld circles, was gunned down in a hail of bullets while eating breakfast on the outdoor patio of Sweet Lulu’s Cafe, a popular local spot in the Melbourne suburb of Keilor. He was dining alongside Abbas Maghnie when two attackers clad entirely in black stepped from a parked Audi Q5 and opened fire, releasing at least 11 rounds that struck both men.

The two accused, 25-year-old Jaeden Tito and 26-year-old Rabii Zahabe, have both entered formal not guilty pleas to charges of murder and attempted murder, rejecting the prosecution’s claim that they traveled from New South Wales specifically to carry out the assassination.

In her opening address to the jury, Crown prosecutor Kristie Churchill SC walked the panel through the meticulously timed attack, playing 20 seconds of chilling security camera footage captured outside the cafe that day. The footage shows the two black-clad assailants rushing toward the outdoor seating and opening fire: Maghnie spins and flees the scene, while Preston slumps forward over his table, as a nearby bystander is heard screaming repeatedly for other patrons to take cover.

Churchill told the court the shooting was a pre-arranged contract killing, planned in advance with coordination from additional uncharged co-conspirators. Investigative outlines presented to the jury paint a picture of a highly coordinated operation: the two suspects lay in wait for hours in the same car park where Preston later parked his car, multiple getaway vehicles were hidden across northwest Melbourne ahead of the attack, and a cross-state chauffeured ride back to Sydney was pre-booked the night before the shooting.

Breaking down the sequence of events, Churchill explained that Preston began his day with a gym visit before texting Maghnie at roughly 8:28 a.m. to arrange the breakfast meeting. Both men arrived at the cafe around 9 a.m., parking in the Keilor Hotel car park where Tito and Zahabe were already waiting inside the Audi Q5. At 10:14 a.m., a third vehicle – a dark green Holden Cruze – stopped outside the cafe for just three seconds before leaving, a signal that the targets were in place. Ninety seconds later, the Audi’s engine started and the attackers moved in.

The shooting began at 10:17 a.m., Churchill said. One attacker’s gun jammed after firing just two shots, while the second fired at least nine rounds. Preston was hit by seven bullets and died at the scene, while Maghnie suffered life-threatening injuries after being struck once. Crucially, Churchill told the jury Maghnie would not be taking the stand during the trial, noting “he’s not been forthcoming” with investigators or prosecutors.

In the chaotic minutes after the attack, the pair fled to nearby Blair Court in Keilor, where security footage captured them setting the Audi Q5 on fire – a move that accidentally burned one of the suspects’ left arms, according to prosecution allegations. The two then ran through a local reserve to a pre-stashed Volkswagen Golf on Robin Street, which they also burned after a short drive, before switching to a third getaway vehicle: a Toyota Camry.

They dumped the Camry outside a Taylors Lake property at 10:41 a.m., removed their balaclavas and black face coverings, and got into the pre-booked chauffeured car for the drive back to Sydney. Churchill told the jury the driver will testify that during the interstate trip, one of the accused turned to the other and said, “we are brothers now.”

Both suspects were arrested weeks after the shooting: Zahabe was taken into custody in Sydney on October 10, while Tito was arrested 15 days later. Forensic evidence will show that DNA matching the two accused was found on the burned-out Audi and on clothing left in the abandoned Camry, Churchill said, adding that one of the firearms used in the attack was recovered last year during a separate, unrelated criminal investigation.

Defense lawyers for both men pushed back against the prosecution’s narrative in their opening statements, each emphasizing that their client denies being one of the shooters. Paul Smallwood, representing Zahabe, acknowledged that whoever carried out the attack “pretty clearly murdered” Preston, but argued that the case for attempted murder against Maghnie is far less clear. He also noted that Preston only arranged the breakfast meeting more than an hour after the prosecution claims the suspects arrived at the Keilor car park, opening a gap in the narrative. Smallwood told the jury he would lay out an alternative, reasonable interpretation of the evidence that supports Zahabe’s innocence once all testimony concludes.

Daniel Sala, Tito’s defense attorney, echoed those arguments, reminding jurors that his client firmly denies being one of the attackers who opened fire on Preston and Maghnie that day. The trial, overseen by Justice Michael O’Connell, is set to resume on Wednesday.

A 31-year-old South Australian woman has made her first court appearance on criminal neglect charges connected to the tragic death of a nine-month-old baby earlier this year. The incident, which unfolded in Adelaide’s northern suburb of Elizabeth Downs on March 4, prompted an immediate emergency response, but first responders were unable to revive the unresponsive infant found inside a parked minivan at the family’s property.

Crystal Manneken stood briefly in the dock at the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Tuesday, marking her first public court attendance since charges were formally filed. No substantive details of the allegations were discussed during the short procedural hearing, with the case quickly adjourned to allow the defendant to secure legal representation.

During the hearing, Manneken only addressed Magistrate Rodney Oates to confirm she was still awaiting a response on her application for government-funded legal aid. In response, Oates emphasized the gravity of the charges, urging her to secure legal counsel as quickly as possible ahead of the next court date.

After the hearing concluded, Manneken declined to make any comment to assembled media waiting outside the courthouse. The matter has been scheduled to resume in the same court on December 15, when further procedural steps are expected to be outlined.

A high-profile animal cruelty case has begun in South Australia, where a local man is facing charges over an alleged dog attack caught on camera that sparked public outrage earlier this year.

Forty-eight-year-old Nathan Bradwell of Smithfield appeared before the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on Tuesday on one count of ill treatment of an animal. The charge stems from a March 1 incident in the carpark of the Bunnings Warehouse location in Parafield, a northern suburb of Adelaide, where prosecutors say Bradwell kicked a four-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier named Maya twice.

Widely circulated public footage of the incident shows the dog leashed in the flatbed of her owner’s ute, with a man matching Bradwell’s description making a series of kicking motions toward the animal. Following his March arrest, Bradwell made his first brief in-person appearance before a magistrate this week, after which the case was adjourned to allow for further pre-trial preparation. The next hearing is scheduled for May 11.

As Bradwell left the courthouse, he avoided press cameras by covering his face with a jacket, but spoke briefly to waiting reporters to lay out his planned legal defense. He claims he acted solely in self-defense when he interacted with the dog, saying, “I never hurt the dog at all. I was defending myself and I pushed the dog off.” He also questioned the authenticity of the viral footage, suggesting it could have been doctored to misrepresent what happened. To back up his claim of an aggressive encounter, Bradwell lifted his jacket and shirt to show reporters a scar on his abdomen, adding that he would present his full account of events during the trial. He also asserted that he has “defended animals all my life,” and argued he was now facing harassment from members of the public angry over the allegations.

Maya’s owners, Hayden Palkovics and Tyler Wright, were in attendance at Tuesday’s hearing and spoke publicly about their perspective on the incident outside the courthouse. Palkovics, a Salisbury North resident, said he felt intense anger seeing Bradwell in the courtroom, noting that while Maya has recovered enough to resume normal life, she still suffers from a persistent sore eye from the alleged attack. The couple have paid between $300 and $400 in veterinary bills for Maya’s treatment, a cost Palkovics says should never have been necessary. “There is no excuse for what happened and no reason,” he said, adding that he believes Bradwell has shown little to no remorse for his alleged actions.

Wright added that the traumatic incident has had a lasting impact on her daily behavior, saying she now feels anxious leaving Maya untended in public carparks and always waits beside the vehicle anytime the pair stop out. “There is never any excuse for harming an animal,” Palkovics said, echoing a sentiment shared by many members of the public who have commented on the viral footage of the incident.

A high-profile animal cruelty case in South Australia has drawn public criticism after a 53-year-old woman escaped a permanent criminal conviction for abandoning seven vulnerable puppies along the banks of Port Adelaide’s Port River.

Barbara Anderson, a resident of Athol Park, entered a guilty plea to a single charge of animal ill-treatment during a hearing this week at Port Adelaide Magistrates Court, following a months-long investigation led by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) South Australia. The disturbing incident dates back to March 30, 2024, when a local fisherman made a startling discovery: seven young red heeler puppies left stranded near the water’s edge.

By the time authorities arrived, several of the defenseless pups had wandered into the shallow Port River waters, forcing police officers to wade into the current to retrieve all seven animals. Investigators later used local CCTV footage to trace the abandonment back to a Great Wall ute registered to Anderson. Following a public appeal to identify the puppies’ owner, Anderson presented herself at the Port Adelaide Police Station on May 7 to claim responsibility.

Anderson gave conflicting accounts of the events to investigators: in court, she claimed she had brought her adult dog Missy and the seven puppies to the river for an outing, only to realize Missy was missing after she unloaded the puppies from her vehicle. She told the court she left the puppies unattended while she searched for Missy, and forgot to return them to her car before they went missing. She never filed a missing animal report with either police or the RSPCA, contradicting an earlier statement she gave to 7News claiming the dogs had escaped from her vehicle and were taken by an unknown third party.

In a decision that has disappointed animal welfare advocates, Magistrate Briony Kennewell ruled against recording a permanent criminal conviction against Anderson. Instead, the 53-year-old was handed a 12-month good behaviour bond. She is permitted to keep her three current dogs, on the strict condition that the animals are desexed and properly registered with local authorities, but she is permanently banned from acquiring any new pets for her household. The court also ordered Anderson to pay $3000 in legal costs to the RSPCA, which rescued and successfully rehomed all seven abandoned puppies.

Andrea Lewis, head of animal welfare at RSPCA South Australia, shared the organization’s reaction to the court’s ruling in a statement following the hearing. “Although we are disappointed with the outcome of this case, we are thankful that the puppies were safely rescued and unharmed as they could have easily drowned in the river,” Lewis said. The case has reignited public debate over animal cruelty sentencing standards in South Australia, with many community members questioning the leniency of the penalty for the abandonment of vulnerable animals.