No bail for man after revenge hit on meth cook’s wife

A man accused of taking part in the shocking kidnap and murder of an innocent woman over her husband’s alleged drug theft has been refused bail.

Thi Kim Tran was captured by three masked men at her home in Bankstown, south-west Sydney, on April 17, before being tied up and put into a waiting vehicle.

The 45-year-old man was killed in response to the theft of 80kg of methamphetamine by her husband Tung Nguyen, who worked as a “cook” on a farm in Springdallah, Victoria, Burwood Local Court heard on Wednesday.

Her body was found bound and gagged in the back of a burned-out SUV.

29-year-old Anh Nguyen allegedly went to Ms. Tran’s address in a convoy with three hitmen and knocked on her door.

These details emerged after Anh made a bail bid, which was rejected by judge Robyn Denes on Wednesday.

After Ms. Tran got out, other men attacked her, allegedly dragging her into the vehicle and attacking an eight-year-old boy with a baseball bat.

Anh’s lawyer, Gregory Goold, said his client should be released on bail because he faces a weak crown case.

Mr. Goold said prosecutors relied heavily on unreliable statements from Ms. Tran’s husband.

The lawyer said Tung told police he had received threats to his safety the day before his wife was killed.

But Mr Goold questioned whether the threats were actually made, noting that Tung made no attempt to warn his wife that she was in danger.

“Without threat, evidence of joint criminal enterprise begins to disappear,” he told the court.

The lawyer said there was no evidence that Nguyen knew what was going to happen when he walked to Ms. Tran’s house wearing a white Real Madrid football shirt and shorts without trying to disguise himself.

He even drove his wife’s car to the scene, the court heard.

Crown prosecutor Burton Ko opposed bail, saying there was an inference that Nguyen knew about the impending attack.

He said that on the way to Ms. Tran’s house, the convoy stopped at the BP service station, where one of the killers was already wearing a balaclava.

He said one of them was armed with a baseball bat, which was not a weapon that could be easily concealed.

The 29-year-old was also a flight risk who had no ties to Australia but had an undisclosed fortune.

Ms. Denes refused bail, considering the circumstantial case against Anh to be arguable, if not relatively strong.

The judge also said there were unacceptable risks if the 29-year-old was released, including that he would flee the country or endanger witnesses.

Outside court Mr Goold described how his client felt in prison.

“Given how this all came about and the position the Crown took in trusting a man who apparently had no respect for his wife and made no attempt to save her, he’s not happy to be there,” he told reporters.

He said a fresh bail application to the NSW Supreme Court was more likely.

Nguyen faced a litany of charges including murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and supplying a commercial quantity of methylamphetamine.

He didn’t make any requests.

The three alleged shooters, aged 20, 21 and 32, and whose names cannot be legally released, are also charged with murder, kidnapping and conspiracy to commit murder.

Anh and three alleged assassins will appear at Burwood Local Court on January 14.