Man accused of ordering hit on bikie boss to learn fate

An underworld figure who allegedly ordered the sniper-style assassination of a rival bike shop boss is set to learn his fate.

David James Pye, 43, was due to stand trial in 2025, charged with murder over the killing of veteran Rebels cyclist Nick Martin at Perth Motorplex in December 2020.

Pye is accused of hiring a former reserve officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to carry out the public assassination.

The judge will announce his decision on Friday.

After the relationship between the two bikers soured when Pye defected from the Rebels to the Comancheros, Pye allegedly paid the gunman $100,000 to kill his one-time ally.

The shooter, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to murder, targeted Martin, who was sitting with his loved ones in the spectator area at the racetrack, with a .308-caliber rifle from a distance of more than 300 meters.

The bullet passed through Martin’s body, exited his lower back and struck another man in the arm, seriously wounding him.

The court was told the assassin later received a message from Pye consisting of two coffin emojis and a clapping hands emoji.

“One is dead, one is serious,” Pye allegedly said.

Pye faced the judge alone in the Supreme Court of Western Australia after pleading not guilty to six charges, including murder.

The sniper testified at trial that he visited Pye’s home after the shooting, where the cash payment he received for killing Martin was waiting for him in a Woolworths bag, but he found only half of the $100,000 in cash.

Pye allegedly responded by saying “the other person didn’t put it in – that’s what happened.”

During the trial, the assassin said Pye was “the most dangerous person I know” and claimed Pye told him he wanted to “make a hole” in Martin.

The trained marksman confirmed he described his attack on the bike-riding patron as “community service” and said it was “probably my state of mind, yeah”.

Pye’s barrister, David Hallowes SC, argued the attacker was a liar and the motorcyclist never asked him to kill Martin.

Prosecutors also alleged that Pye offered to pay the same hitman to kill his ex-girlfriend and another bicyclist, but the murders never occurred.

Judge Joseph McGrath will announce his decision on Friday.