Latest news with #Giammichele
Hamilton Spectator
5 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Defence points to dead drug boss, gunman in Marko Bakir murder trial
The defence case for Alessandro Giammichele focused on Salloum Jassem and Abdelaziz Ibrahim on Friday at the John Sopinka Courthouse. Giammichele is charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Marko Bakir. He has pleaded not guilty. Bakir, 31, was shot five times in the driveway of his west Mountain home around 8:15 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2018, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Assistant Crown attorney Elise Quinn previously told the jury of eight men and four women that while Giammichele didn't physically pull the trigger, he played a 'fundamental role' in the killing. The Crown and defence have agreed Ibrahim, who is now dead, shot Bakir. In 2018, Bakir , who had recently been awarded a $362,000 settlement following a motorcycle crash, lent Giammichele $100,000 to invest, Quinn previously told the jury. The loan came with a contract and repayment schedule — but Giammichele didn't pay it back. Defence lawyer Kendra Stanyon, in presenting the case for the defence, read an agreed statement of facts that both Crown and defence agree Jassem, who is now deceased, was a 'major drug supplier' in Brantford and the surrounding area and had a 'network of subordinates and access to firearms.' The Crown and defence also agreed York Regional Police executed a search warrant at a Brantford address related to Jassem, as well as another related to Ibrahim in Hamilton. Three phones were seized from the Jassem residence and two from Ibrahim's. The jury previously heard that Giammichele appears to have called both Jassem and Ibrahim on the day of Bakir's murder. According to another agreed statement of facts, Crown and defence agree Giammichele was shot in a driveway in Mississauga around 1:40 a.m. on Sept. 17, 2019. Peel police found a tracker on the car Giammichele was driving at the time. Police have never charged anyone in connection with the crime. Stanyon also filed an affidavit that the tracker was linked to a phone number that appears in one of Jassem's phones as 'Zizo 2019.' Ibrahim's former girlfriend Breanna Lefneski previously told the court his nickname was 'Zezo.' Det.-Const. Matt Robinson, who examined the phones for Hamilton police, testified none of the phones appears to have been in use in November 2018. He added there were no communications in the phones about Marko Bakir's murder, and Bakir's and Giammichele's names and numbers did not appear. The jury also saw WhatsApp messages of Jassem negotiating to buy numerous handguns and references to him having 'a lot of shooters.' Robinson testified Mark Buzzelli was arrested for accessory after the fact on Nov. 9, 2022, and, on Nov. 10, he contacted the jail to keep Buzzelli and Giammichele separate. He said that call was made to ensure Buzzelli's safety, as he said generally when people speak to police in violent crime cases, their safety can be at risk. Robinson also told the jury he warned the detention centre after Giammichele was arrested for Bakir's murder on May 18, 2022, in Thunder Bay that Toronto or Brantford gang members 'may want to harm' him. The trial continues Monday.
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Accused appears to have called Marko Bakir's killer the day of his killing
Alessandro Giammichele appears to have communicated numerous times with the man who shot Marko Bakir the day he was killed, a jury heard Thursday at the John Sopinka Courthouse. Hamilton Police crime analyst Jovan Krasulja showed the jury cellphone data indicating there were at least four connections between the phones of Giammichele and Abdelaziz Ibrahim the day Bakir was killed. In addition, Giammichele's phone also texted and called a phone number known to be associated with Salloum (Sal) Jassem Nov. 21 and 22. Bakir, 31, was shot five times in the driveway of his west Mountain home around 8:15 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2018. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Giammichele is charged with first-degree murder in Bakir's killing. He has pleaded not guilty. Assistant Crown attorney Elise Quinn previously told the jury of eight men and four women that while Giammichele didn't physically pull the trigger, he played a 'fundamental role' in the killing. In an agreed statement of facts, the Crown and defence previously agreed Ibrahim, who is now dead, is the person who shot Bakir. In 2018, Bakir, who had recently been awarded a $362,000 settlement following a motorcycle crash, lent Giammichele $100,000 to invest, Quinn previously told the jury. The loan came with a contract and repayment schedule — but Giammichele didn't pay it back . The jury also previously heard in the agreed statement of facts that Ibrahim was a 'close associate' of Jassem and , as heard earlier in the trial, phone numbers for 'Bob Marley' and 'Amanda Hug'n'Kiss' are agreed to be connected to Jassem or his associates. The court also saw surveillance video Thursday from Bakir's neighbourhood which appears to show a red pickup truck driving past at 8:11 p.m. The jury previously heard Giammichele drove a red Ford F-150 at the time of the murder. Surveillance video appears to show an individual walk toward Bakir's home at 8:13 p.m. Then, at 8:15 p.m., an individual runs in the opposite direction from Bakir's home — and less than a minute later, the video shows a red pickup truck and a grey hatchback leave from the direction the individual ran to. Krasulja told the jury a phone registered to Breanna Lefneski — which the court previously heard she purchased for Ibrahim — called a number associated with Jassem at 8:16 p.m. from to a tower near Bakir's home. At 8:17 p.m., Ibrahim's phone connected to two towers near Bakir's home, Krasulja told the jury. Krasulja testified the 'Bob Marley' phone number associated with Jassem connected to a cellphone tower in Brant County at 7:15 p.m. Nov. 22 and again two minutes before Bakir was killed. He said police did not get call records from the 'Hug'n'Kiss' phone. He told the jury there were 17 text messages and several calls between Giammichele and a Jassem-related 'Bob Marley' phone Nov. 21. There was also a call and text from the 'Hug'n'Kiss' number associated with Jassem to Giammichele's phone in the early afternoon of Nov. 22, followed by several calls and texts from the 'Hug'n'Kiss' number to Ibrahim's phone. Following those calls, both Ibrahim's and Giammichele's phones connected with the same tower close to Vlad Sulug's Hendershot Road shop shortly before 5 p.m., Krasulja said. Ibrahim's phone called Giammichele's just before 6 p.m. from a tower close to Bakir's home, Krasulja said, and one of Giammichele's phones does not connect to another tower until 9:25 p.m. Giammichele's other phone and Ibrahim's phone both connected to Ibrahim's home tower on Concession Street shortly before 7 p.m., Krasulja said. Giammichele's second phone did not connect to a tower again until 10:24 p.m. During cross-examination by defence lawyer Susan Pennypacker, Krasulja said cellphone tower data cannot pinpoint the location of a person, just that their device is within the service area of the tower. He agreed two people may ping off the same tower, but may not be in the same location. The trial continues Friday.
Hamilton Spectator
15-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Accused asked friend for ‘untraceable firearm' before Bakir murder, jury hears
Alessandro Giammichele asked for an 'untraceable firearm' in the summer of 2018, his friend Jason Davies testified Wednesday at the John Sopinka Courthouse. Davies said shortly after the pair met in early 2018, Giammichele told him he had a gun and a concealed carry permit. So when Giammichele made the request, Davies asked him why he needed an 'untraceable firearm.' 'He wanted one and he needed one,' Davies said Giammichele told him. Giammichele is charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Marko Bakir, 31, in November 2018. He has pleaded not guilty. Assistant Crown attorney Elise Quinn previously told the jury of eight men and four women that while Giammichele didn't physically pull the trigger, he played a 'fundamental role' in the killing . Quinn said the alleged 'hitman' who shot Bakir five times in his driveway was Abdelaziz Ibrahim, who is now dead. In 2018, Bakir, who had recently been awarded a $362,000 settlement following a motorcycle crash, lent Giammichele $100,000 to invest, Quinn previously told the jury. The loan came with a contract and repayment schedule — but Giammichele didn't pay it back . Davies told the jury he saw the accused with a firearm at Giammichele's uncle Vlad Sulug's Hendershot Road shop a month or a month and a half after the request. That was roughly a month or a month and half before Bakir was killed, Davies testified. After seeing him with the gun, Davies said, Giammichele told him he 'didn't need an untraceable gun anymore.' Davies also told the jury Giammichele had the password for his phone and often used it. He testified he saw Giammichele at his uncle's shop Nov. 22, 2018 — the day Bakir was killed — and Giammichele used Davies' phone that day. The jury saw text messages sent from an app on Davies' phone on the afternoon of Nov. 22 that read '157 Hendershot Road, Hamilton' at 2:52 p.m., followed by 'Please confirm appointment time, thanks' at 2:53 p.m. Davies told the jury he did not send the messages, but under cross-examination from defence lawyer Susan Pennypacker, Davies said Giammichele 'would have had to have' sent the messages, as — despite being at the shop — he didn't know the Hendershot Road address. 'Why would I put in an address I don't even know?' he said. Davies also told the jury he learned about Bakir's murder from Giammichele the next day. He testified at the time of Bakir's murder Giammichele drove a red Ford F-150 and a red Jeep Cherokee, but said Giammichele drove the F-150 more frequently. A red F-150 — the same colour, make and model as Giammichele's — was captured on surveillance footage from two different cameras in Bakir's neighbourhood, Quinn told the court earlier in the trial. During cross-examination, Pennypacker pressed Davies on which vehicle Giammichele drove around the time Bakir was killed, suggesting he was not sure about when Giammichele drove the red F-150. He said Giammichele did drive the F-150 at the time of the murder, but said he wasn't sure how long after Nov. 22 he may have driven it. Davies agreed with Pennypacker that Giammichele would often let other people drive his vehicles, adding he often drove them — including the F-150. Davies, who lived with Giammichele for a month during the summer of 2018, testified that he was addicted to cocaine for a year and bought it from Giammichele. Davies agreed with Pennypacker that Giammichele had cash, a lot of vehicles, no job and was going to strip clubs and bringing strippers back to his home. While Davies agreed Giammichele was not hiding that he had lots of money, was selling drugs and was 'partying all the time,' he did not believe Giammichele's father knew about his son's involvement in the drug trade. The court also heard Wednesday from Logan Day, who lived in Hamilton from May 2017 to January 2020. He testified one of his roommates was friends with someone he knew as 'Zezo.' Day told the court he did not know his real name at the time, but he later learned from police it was Abdelaziz Ibrahim. He testified that Ibrahim visited with his girlfriend and stayed over at the apartment several times — including during November 2018. He told the jury he did not know Bakir or Giammichele. The trial continues Thursday.
Hamilton Spectator
14-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Did you search my pickup truck? Accused killer asked Hamilton cops, jury hears as murder trial continues
While Alessandro Giammichele had several vehicles registered to him — including a Jeep and Mercedes-Benz — when he spoke to Hamilton police while in the Dominican Republic in May 2019, he only asked if police had searched his Ford F-150 pickup truck, Staff Sgt. Rich Wouters testified Tuesday at the John Sopinka Courthouse. Defence lawyer Kendra Stanyon previously asked Wouters about three vehicles believed to be registered to Giammichele — but when pressed by assistant Crown attorney Elise Quinn during re-examination Tuesday, Wouters said Giammichele did not ask about the other vehicles. Giammichele is charged with first-degree murder in the November 2018 killing of Marko Bakir, 31. He has pleaded not guilty. A red F-150 — the same colour, make and model as Giammichele's — was captured on surveillance footage from two different cameras in Bakir's neighbourhood, Quinn told the court earlier in the trial. Quinn previously told the jury that while Giammichele didn't physically pull the trigger, he played a 'fundamental role' in the killing. Quinn said the alleged 'hitman' who shot Bakir five times in his driveway was Abdelaziz Ibrahim, who is now dead. Alessandro Giammichele pleaded not guilty in the 2018 shooting death of Marko Bakir. In 2018, Bakir, who had recently been awarded a $362,000 settlement following a motorcycle crash, lent Giammichele $100,000 to invest, Quinn previously told the jury. The loan came with a contract and repayment schedule — but Giammichele was behind on payments . Wouters also testified Tuesday that Giammichele used Google Translate daily to 'romance women' in the Dominican Republic in late 2018 and early 2019. However, he said Giammichele's translation history also includes references to being a 'hitman' at the same time as statements about having to flee Canada for 'doing bad things' or related to comments about his involvement in the drug trade. The jury also heard Monday from Sgt. Ben Adams, who testified he located a leather pouch with a Highway 407 transponder and a nameplate inscribed with 'Alessandro Giammichele' in Vlad Sulug's Hendershot Road shop in March 2019 when police executed a search warrant. Adams said police were looking for anything related to Giammichele, Bakir or travel documents — and specifically, keys to a red Ford F-150. Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Susan Pennypacker, Adams said police were not looking for keys related to any other vehicles. The court also heard from Const. Adam Krasulja, who was present when a cellphone and the red Ford F-150 registered to Giammichele were seized in March 2019 from Sulug in Ingersoll, Ont. Sulug was stopped in a Shopper's Drug Mart parking lot, Krasulja testified, adding Sulug's cellphone was located on the dashboard of the pickup truck. In addition, the court heard an agreed statement of facts from Giammichele's aunt Teresa Desantis, who was the executor of his mother Joanne's will. Giammichele's mother died in 2017. The court heard Giammichele received more than $111,000 from his mother's estate between October 2018 and January 2019, which included several small instalments and two lump sums of $48,300 and $50,000. The statement of facts also said Giammichele asked his aunt for $2,000 to $3,000 in April 2019, which she declined. The trial continues Wednesday.
Hamilton Spectator
14-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Accused asked police about red F-150, jury hears in murder trial
While Alessandro Giammichele had several vehicles registered to him — including a Jeep and Mercedes-Benz — when he spoke to Hamilton police while in the Dominican Republic in May 2019, he only asked if police had searched his Ford F-150 pickup truck, Staff Sgt. Rich Wouters testified Tuesday at the John Sopinka Courthouse. Defence lawyer Kendra Stanyon previously asked Wouters about three vehicles believed to be registered to Giammichele — but when pressed by assistant Crown attorney Elise Quinn during re-examination Tuesday, Wouters said Giammichele did not ask about the other vehicles. Giammichele is charged with first-degree murder in the November 2018 killing of Marko Bakir, 31. He has pleaded not guilty. A red F-150 — the same colour, make and model as Giammichele's — was captured on surveillance footage from two different cameras in Bakir's neighbourhood, Quinn told the court earlier in the trial. Quinn previously told the jury that while Giammichele didn't physically pull the trigger, he played a 'fundamental role' in the killing. Quinn said the alleged 'hitman' who shot Bakir five times in his driveway was Abdelaziz Ibrahim, who is now dead. Alessandro Giammichele pleaded not guilty in the 2018 shooting death of Marko Bakir. In 2018, Bakir, who had recently been awarded a $362,000 settlement following a motorcycle crash, lent Giammichele $100,000 to invest, Quinn previously told the jury. The loan came with a contract and repayment schedule — but Giammichele was behind on payments . Wouters also testified Tuesday that Giammichele used Google Translate daily to 'romance women' in the Dominican Republic in late 2018 and early 2019. However, he said Giammichele's translation history also includes references to being a 'hitman' at the same time as statements about having to flee Canada for 'doing bad things' or related to comments about his involvement in the drug trade. The jury also heard Monday from Sgt. Ben Adams, who testified he located a leather pouch with a Highway 407 transponder and a nameplate inscribed with 'Alessandro Giammichele' in Vlad Sulug's Hendershot Road shop in March 2019 when police executed a search warrant. Adams said police were looking for anything related to Giammichele, Bakir or travel documents — and specifically, keys to a red Ford F-150. Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Susan Pennypacker, Adams said police were not looking for keys related to any other vehicles. The court also heard from Const. Adam Krasulja, who was present when a cellphone and the red Ford F-150 registered to Giammichele were seized in March 2019 from Sulug in Ingersoll, Ont. Sulug was stopped in a Shopper's Drug Mart parking lot, Krasulja testified, adding Sulug's cellphone was located on the dashboard of the pickup truck. In addition, the court heard an agreed statement of facts from Giammichele's aunt Teresa Desantis, who was the executor of his mother Joanne's will. Giammichele's mother died in 2017. The court heard Giammichele received more than $111,000 from his mother's estate between October 2018 and January 2019, which included several small instalments and two lump sums of $48,300 and $50,000. The statement of facts also said Giammichele asked his aunt for $2,000 to $3,000 in April 2019, which she declined. The trial continues Wednesday.
