'Frantic' calls before gang figure's city execution
Bilal Hamze spent his last hours dining with the woman at Kid Kyoto restaurant in Sydney's city centre in June 2021 before he was fatally shot on the street outside.
The woman ran for her life after the first two shots were fired, hiding while eight further shots rang out in the street.
Samuel John Rokomaqisa, 35, is on trial in the NSW Supreme Court accused of carrying out the retaliatory drive-by shooting on behalf of the rival Alameddine crime network, amid an escalating feud between the gangs.
There was no eyewitness evidence to place the Fijian man inside the black car allegedly used by the shooter, his lawyer told the jury on Tuesday.
"No one identifies him as being in that motor vehicle," defence barrister George Thomas said in his opening remarks.
The jury is expected to hear evidence that the sex worker was in communication with a person of interest who was in the vicinity of the restaurant when the shooting occurred.
"(Police) described his behaviour as frantic, sending messages, making phone calls around the time of the killing," Mr Thomas said.
The sex worker ran to Bilal Hamze and called triple zero after the shooting but was too distraught to speak, the court was told on Monday.
Rokomaqisa has pleaded not guilty to Hamze's murder as well as conspiring to kill his brother Ibrahem Hamze weeks later.
He also denies assaulting an elderly man while stealing his car to evade police after the alleged plot to kill was thwarted.
Mr Thomas begged the jury to keep an open mind and consider whether there were alternative explanations for the evidence provided by the prosecution.
There was no eyewitness evidence to place the Fijian man inside the black Audi allegedly used by the shooter, his lawyer told the jury on Tuesday.
Mr Thomas noted the jurors would hear from a forensic expert who was expected to testify that Rokomaqisa's DNA could have been deposited in the Audi via secondary transfer.
Mr Thomas similarly expressed doubts about whether his client could be proven to be linked to the attempted murder conspiracy.
Detective Inspector Joseph Maree told the jury that both Hamze brothers had moved homes in early 2021 due to the escalating conflict between their family crime syndicate and the Alameddines.
There had been a number of threats against Bilal Hamze's life at that time, the police officer said.
Prosecutors allege the criminal groups have been feuding for years, leading to several public place shootings including a retaliatory shooting of an Alameddine associate days before Bilal Hamze was gunned down.
Witnesses are expected to testify that Rokomaqisa later boasted about his involvement in the shooting, including that he was owed $200,000 for "the thing".
Crown prosecutor Kate Ratcliffe claimed on Monday the 35-year-old committed the crimes to demonstrate his loyalty to the Alameddine crime network and to gain their trust.
In return, he allegedly received funds which cannot be explained by lawful employment.
The trial continues.
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A sex worker has broken down in tears as she recalled screaming for help when a major crime figure was gunned down in front of her, moments after sharing a meal. When the woman left Kid Kyoto restaurant with Hamze crime family boss Bilal Hamze after dinner on June 17, 2021, she said they were laughing and jovial. But then she heard a loud bang that prompted Hamze - who she knew as Bill - to start running, so she followed suit. "I've never heard anything like it. I didn't know what it was," the sex worker said. She recounted hiding in an alcove until the last of the gunshots rang out before running towards Hamze, who was lying face down on the footpath. "I ran up to Bill and touched his arms and back and I was screaming 'stop' and 'help'," the woman said. "I didn't know what to do." She told a court she called triple-zero but was too distraught to speak so she hung up and attended to Hamze, who was making grunting noises. 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"As soon as the car stopped, I saw flashes and heard loud bangs coming from the front passenger window," he recalled in a statement read to the court. "I believe these were gunshots ... I was scared for my life." A nearby security guard also noted the tinted windows on the Audi, and said he was only able to see that the driver was wearing a blue surgical mask which covered much of his face. In a triple zero call, eyewitness Carolyn Howard says that a car has driven by and fired "probably ten shots" at a man who was groaning and bleeding. "He's not breathing," someone can be heard saying towards the end of the call. Ms Howard told the jury she had been walking behind Hamze and the sex worker before the drive-by shooting, which she described as terrifying. "I've never experienced anything like that," she said. The sex worker received a number of texts and calls from a male friend around the time of Hamze's death, the jury was told. Rokomaqisa's barrister previously said she had been communicating with a person of interest in the vicinity of the restaurant, who was described as "frantic" in sending messages and making calls at the time of the killing. The trial continues. A sex worker has broken down in tears as she recalled screaming for help when a major crime figure was gunned down in front of her, moments after sharing a meal. When the woman left Kid Kyoto restaurant with Hamze crime family boss Bilal Hamze after dinner on June 17, 2021, she said they were laughing and jovial. But then she heard a loud bang that prompted Hamze - who she knew as Bill - to start running, so she followed suit. "I've never heard anything like it. I didn't know what it was," the sex worker said. She recounted hiding in an alcove until the last of the gunshots rang out before running towards Hamze, who was lying face down on the footpath. "I ran up to Bill and touched his arms and back and I was screaming 'stop' and 'help'," the woman said. "I didn't know what to do." She told a court she called triple-zero but was too distraught to speak so she hung up and attended to Hamze, who was making grunting noises. Hamze sustained gunshot wounds to his abdomen, hip and elbow, later dying in hospital. His last moments have been laid bare in the NSW Supreme Court trial of the man accused of his murder - rival Alameddine crime network associate Samuel John Rokomaqisa. The 35-year-old pleaded not guilty to Hamze's murder, as well as conspiring to kill his brother Ibrahem Hamze and assaulting an elderly man during a carjacking. It is alleged he committed the crimes to demonstrate his loyalty to the Alameddine gang and gain their trust so they would employ him. But his lawyer claims there is no eyewitness evidence to place the Fijian man inside the black Audi seen to circle the block and pause beside Hamze when the rounds of shots were fired. The heavily tinted windows impeded a taxi driver's view as the luxury car passed by, but he said he saw one of the windows lower a few centimetres when the car paused in front of him. "As soon as the car stopped, I saw flashes and heard loud bangs coming from the front passenger window," he recalled in a statement read to the court. "I believe these were gunshots ... I was scared for my life." A nearby security guard also noted the tinted windows on the Audi, and said he was only able to see that the driver was wearing a blue surgical mask which covered much of his face. In a triple zero call, eyewitness Carolyn Howard says that a car has driven by and fired "probably ten shots" at a man who was groaning and bleeding. "He's not breathing," someone can be heard saying towards the end of the call. Ms Howard told the jury she had been walking behind Hamze and the sex worker before the drive-by shooting, which she described as terrifying. "I've never experienced anything like that," she said. The sex worker received a number of texts and calls from a male friend around the time of Hamze's death, the jury was told. Rokomaqisa's barrister previously said she had been communicating with a person of interest in the vicinity of the restaurant, who was described as "frantic" in sending messages and making calls at the time of the killing. The trial continues. A sex worker has broken down in tears as she recalled screaming for help when a major crime figure was gunned down in front of her, moments after sharing a meal. When the woman left Kid Kyoto restaurant with Hamze crime family boss Bilal Hamze after dinner on June 17, 2021, she said they were laughing and jovial. But then she heard a loud bang that prompted Hamze - who she knew as Bill - to start running, so she followed suit. "I've never heard anything like it. I didn't know what it was," the sex worker said. She recounted hiding in an alcove until the last of the gunshots rang out before running towards Hamze, who was lying face down on the footpath. "I ran up to Bill and touched his arms and back and I was screaming 'stop' and 'help'," the woman said. "I didn't know what to do." She told a court she called triple-zero but was too distraught to speak so she hung up and attended to Hamze, who was making grunting noises. Hamze sustained gunshot wounds to his abdomen, hip and elbow, later dying in hospital. His last moments have been laid bare in the NSW Supreme Court trial of the man accused of his murder - rival Alameddine crime network associate Samuel John Rokomaqisa. The 35-year-old pleaded not guilty to Hamze's murder, as well as conspiring to kill his brother Ibrahem Hamze and assaulting an elderly man during a carjacking. It is alleged he committed the crimes to demonstrate his loyalty to the Alameddine gang and gain their trust so they would employ him. But his lawyer claims there is no eyewitness evidence to place the Fijian man inside the black Audi seen to circle the block and pause beside Hamze when the rounds of shots were fired. The heavily tinted windows impeded a taxi driver's view as the luxury car passed by, but he said he saw one of the windows lower a few centimetres when the car paused in front of him. "As soon as the car stopped, I saw flashes and heard loud bangs coming from the front passenger window," he recalled in a statement read to the court. "I believe these were gunshots ... I was scared for my life." A nearby security guard also noted the tinted windows on the Audi, and said he was only able to see that the driver was wearing a blue surgical mask which covered much of his face. In a triple zero call, eyewitness Carolyn Howard says that a car has driven by and fired "probably ten shots" at a man who was groaning and bleeding. "He's not breathing," someone can be heard saying towards the end of the call. Ms Howard told the jury she had been walking behind Hamze and the sex worker before the drive-by shooting, which she described as terrifying. "I've never experienced anything like that," she said. The sex worker received a number of texts and calls from a male friend around the time of Hamze's death, the jury was told. Rokomaqisa's barrister previously said she had been communicating with a person of interest in the vicinity of the restaurant, who was described as "frantic" in sending messages and making calls at the time of the killing. The trial continues. A sex worker has broken down in tears as she recalled screaming for help when a major crime figure was gunned down in front of her, moments after sharing a meal. When the woman left Kid Kyoto restaurant with Hamze crime family boss Bilal Hamze after dinner on June 17, 2021, she said they were laughing and jovial. But then she heard a loud bang that prompted Hamze - who she knew as Bill - to start running, so she followed suit. "I've never heard anything like it. I didn't know what it was," the sex worker said. She recounted hiding in an alcove until the last of the gunshots rang out before running towards Hamze, who was lying face down on the footpath. "I ran up to Bill and touched his arms and back and I was screaming 'stop' and 'help'," the woman said. "I didn't know what to do." She told a court she called triple-zero but was too distraught to speak so she hung up and attended to Hamze, who was making grunting noises. Hamze sustained gunshot wounds to his abdomen, hip and elbow, later dying in hospital. His last moments have been laid bare in the NSW Supreme Court trial of the man accused of his murder - rival Alameddine crime network associate Samuel John Rokomaqisa. The 35-year-old pleaded not guilty to Hamze's murder, as well as conspiring to kill his brother Ibrahem Hamze and assaulting an elderly man during a carjacking. It is alleged he committed the crimes to demonstrate his loyalty to the Alameddine gang and gain their trust so they would employ him. But his lawyer claims there is no eyewitness evidence to place the Fijian man inside the black Audi seen to circle the block and pause beside Hamze when the rounds of shots were fired. The heavily tinted windows impeded a taxi driver's view as the luxury car passed by, but he said he saw one of the windows lower a few centimetres when the car paused in front of him. "As soon as the car stopped, I saw flashes and heard loud bangs coming from the front passenger window," he recalled in a statement read to the court. "I believe these were gunshots ... I was scared for my life." A nearby security guard also noted the tinted windows on the Audi, and said he was only able to see that the driver was wearing a blue surgical mask which covered much of his face. In a triple zero call, eyewitness Carolyn Howard says that a car has driven by and fired "probably ten shots" at a man who was groaning and bleeding. "He's not breathing," someone can be heard saying towards the end of the call. Ms Howard told the jury she had been walking behind Hamze and the sex worker before the drive-by shooting, which she described as terrifying. "I've never experienced anything like that," she said. The sex worker received a number of texts and calls from a male friend around the time of Hamze's death, the jury was told. Rokomaqisa's barrister previously said she had been communicating with a person of interest in the vicinity of the restaurant, who was described as "frantic" in sending messages and making calls at the time of the killing. The trial continues.
