Sniper to take stand at bikie assassination trial
An assassin who shot and killed a bikie boss, allegedly on the orders of his rival, will take the stand at the trial of the man accused of ordering the attack.
The attacker, who cannot be named for legal reasons, shot and killed Rebels senior cyclist Nick Martin in a sniper-style attack at Perth Motorplex on December 12, 2020.
The former soldier is scheduled to testify in the murder trial of David James Pye, 43, who allegedly masterminded the deadly attack at the racetrack.
Pye, then a member of the Comancheros outlaw motorcycle group, paid the hitman $100,000 to carry out the attack in the racetrack’s spectator area, prosecutor Justin Whalley SC told the WA Supreme Court in his opening statement on Wednesday.
The shooter, who worked in Iraq in the years before the incident, used a .308-caliber rifle to shoot Martin from more than 300 yards away.
The bullet passed through Martin’s body, exited his lower back and struck another man in the arm, seriously wounding him.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2021 after pleading guilty to Martin’s murder.
Pye and the hitman met through social media and met when the former soldier returned to Australia after the cyclist agreed to help him supply illegal drugs.
Mr Whalley said the pair later discussed and planned Martin’s murder using the encrypted messaging app Wire.
“The defendant disclosed a history of hostilities and disagreements between himself and Nick Martin, including the belief that Nick Martin had signed a contract for the defendant,” he said.
The attacker’s statement is expected to detail his relationship with Pye and the money he was paid to carry out the crime.
Pye’s barrister, David Hallowes SC, attacked the attacker’s integrity in his opening statement, saying he was a liar and had “dishonesty running through his veins”.
“David Pye never suggested (the shooter) kill Nick Martin, never offered him money to do it, nor did he pay him any money,” he said.
“Pye did not send any text messages the evening the gunman killed Nick Martin.”
Mr Hallowes said cross-examination would reveal he had lied about Pye.
