A patched Finks bikie is accused of shooting a rival club member in the head in retribution for being shot in the foot.
Sione Hokafonu, 26, is charged with the attempted murder of Mongols bikie Rocco Curra, who was shot four times in the head and chest while sitting in a parked car in a residential Melbourne street last year.
Mr Curra had emergency surgery to remove one of the bullets from his brain after the August 1 shooting in Bulleen.
Hokafonu is one of two alleged shooters. During a bail application in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Wednesday, it was revealed one of the weapons used in the attack had been found in his home months later.
Bikie-busting Echo Taskforce detective Daniel Ruggiero told the court Mr Curra had gone to the home to meet a woman he had met on Instagram.
Less than a minute after he arrived, two men prosecutors allege were Sione Hokafonu and co-accused Ali Hussein began shooting at him.
Detective Ruggiero said 12 shots were fired and four struck Mr Curra.
The shooting was allegedly an act of retribution by the Finks bikies stemming from an incident at a Fountain Gate bar in July, where a man wearing a Mongols gang jumper damaged a television.
Detective Ruggiero said members of the Finks including Hokafonu allegedly assaulted the man, ripping the jumper from his body.
Hours later, Hokafonu went to hospital with a gunshot wound to the foot, which was allegedly payback for the assault on the Mongols supporter, prompting the attempted murder of Mr Curra in retribution.
In December, police found one of the two guns allegedly used in the shooting in Hokafonu’s house, with his fingerprints on the magazine.
Hokafonu is also charged with causing criminal damage by fire after the car allegedly used in the shooting was found burnt out 700m from the scene.
Prosecutors claim Hokafonu has “world status” in the internationally recognised Finks MC but his barrister Phil Dunn QC said the man was simply a member of a “suburban Melbourne chapter” of the club.
Mr Dunn urged magistrate Tara Hartnett to grant Hokafonu bail because coronavirus-related delays meant he could wait more than a year for a hearing to test evidence against him.
He said his client had made no attempts to flee despite taking two overseas holidays during the police investigations.
His partner is due to give birth to her fourth child in May and has no other support, the court heard. His parents have offered up a $100,000 surety.
Ms Hartnett will hand down her decision on Friday.
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Source: Yahoo!