3 days ago
Hamzy, Alameddine family trees revealed in Sydney murder trial
Family trees of two rival Sydney gangs have been revealed in court, showing who police believe made up the underworld hierarchy at the time of an allegedly deadly feud.
A detective tasked with unravelling the Alameddine organised criminal network (OCN) gave evidence in the trial of a man accused of murdering a senior Hamzy clan member and plotting to kill his brother.
Samuel John Rokomaqisa – an alleged Alameddine associate – has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Bilal Hamze and conspiring to kill Ibrahem Hamze before the NSW Supreme Court.
The gangland hierarchies of both the Alameddines and Hamzys, as alleged by police, were tendered as evidence in the trial when Detective Senior Constable Lauren Bennett was called to the stand this week.
Snr Const Bennett spoke about her work for a dedicated NSW Police strike force targeting the Alameddine OCN, which included extensive surveillance.
The court heard of a conversation held at the western Sydney home of an alleged Alameddine boss in the early hours of June 8, 2021, where three men spoke about a recent shooting.
One of them was frustrated the gang's boss Rafat Alameddine allowed his brother-in-law Asaad Alahmad to attend a meeting with figures linked to the Hamzys the night before.
Mr Alahmad, who the court heard headed the Alameddines' street arm Ready 4 War, had been shot 'within hours' of the meeting at a Granville kebab shop.
'Raf's such an idiot for telling him to go,' one of the men was recorded saying on a police surveillance device, the court heard.
Discussion turned to who could be behind the shooting, which Mr Alahmad survived. The court heard it was the second time he had been shot.
'You're not gonna get this phone call if it's a Gas hit,' one of the trio, Murat Gulasi, said.
Snr Const Bennett was asked what she believed this comment meant, based on her knowledge of the Alameddines and Hamzys.
She said 'Gas' was a reference to Ghassan Amoun – also known as Ghassan Hamzy – a senior member of the Hamzy OCN.
'Gulasi was saying that if Amoun had organised the shooting 'the job would be done properly',' Snr Const Bennett told the jury.
'You wouldn't know about it, someone would not be in hospital,' she said.
Amoun has since been shot dead, the court heard.
The men said they believed 'Ibby' – who the court heard was Ibrahem Hamze – was behind it, according to Snr Const Bennett.
Ibrahem Hamze was at the time suspected to head the Hamzys' street arm, and was at the 'same level' as Mr Alahmad, the court heard.
'Tell Raf Ibby needs to go,' Gulasi allegedly said.
Crown prosecutor Katrina Ratcliffe has told the court Bilal Hamze's death and the alleged plot to kill Ibrahem Hamze came during a feud between the two organised crime networks.
She said Bilal's murder was 'retaliatory' and that his April 2021 move from his old home in Auburn to a Haymarket apartment was done 'in order to avoid attempts on his life'.
On June 17, 2021, the 34-year-old went out for dinner with a female sex worker at Kid Kyoto in Sydney's CBD arriving about 8.45pm.
While they dined together a stolen black Audi sports car was observed by witnesses and captured on CCTV circling the restaurant and nearby streets.
The vehicle and its occupants lay in wait parked in Tankstream Way with its headlights on when Hamze and the woman walked right past it after leaving dinner at 10.22pm.
CCTV footage played to the court showed the car drive up behind the duo before they turned and walked down Bridge St, and the car came to a stop at the intersection.
Witnesses have told the court of hearing loud bangs ring out and CCTV showed Hamze and the woman 'running for their lives', as described by Ms Ratcliffe in her opening address.
The sex worker, who can't be identified, told the jury about the moment a gunman opened fire on the man she knew as 'Bill'.
'I'd never heard anything like it,' she said. I didn't know what it was. I heard another bang and he started running up … he didn't say anything.
'I ran too because Bill was running.'
CCTV showed Hamze limping down the footpath, with the court having heard he had been shot in the hip during a first round of gunshots.
He came to a stop when the black Audi pulled up beside him and could be seen falling to the ground after being shot two more times.
His dinner date ran to his side and told the court how she could hear him 'grunting'.
'I don't know anyone who wanted to hurt Bill,' she told police in a statement.
'I only know he had been to jail previously but I don't know why anyone wants to hurt him. I know he's a very private person.'
The Crown alleges Mr Rokomaqisa, 35, made admissions to being the driver in the hit and spoke of being owed $200,000 for his work for the Alameddines.
'Bro, didn't I prove something to everyone with that job in the city?' he allegedly said in an intercepted call.
He is also alleged to have been in a Mercedes that was allegedly conducting surveillance of Ibrahem Hamze's North Sydney unit on August 14, 2021, alongside another unknown man.
The jury heard the car was parked in a no stopping zone, attracting the interest of passing police and a pursuit ensued.
'The car sustained a flat tyre, the two males then performed a carjacking,' Ms Ratcliffe said.
DNA profiles matching Mr Rokomaqisa's were allegedly found in the abandoned Mercedes, the Toyota Camry that was allegedly carjacked at gunpoint and a second Mercedes used as another getaway car.
The second Mercedes was later seized and data downloaded from its computer allegedly showed it had been stored at a home linked to Mr Rokomaqisa for several days in late August 2021.
He has denied in police interviews any involvement in the incidents and rejected having links to the Alameddines, the jury was told.
Snr Const Bennett was asked by Mr Rokomaqisa's barrister George Thomas whether she had found any 'direct links' between his client and particular high-ranking Alameddine figures.
'No direct links,' she said.
