Overview
- The trial of Jaeden Tito and Rabii Zahabe opened Tuesday in the Supreme Court of Victoria, with both pleading not guilty to murder and attempted murder.
- Prosecutors told jurors the pair traveled from NSW, waited in a stolen Audi Q5, then two masked gunmen shot Gavin Preston seven times and wounded Abbas Maghnie outside Sweet Lulu's cafe.
- The Crown alleges the shooters torched multiple getaway cars, including the Audi, before a pre-booked chauffeur arranged via an encrypted app drove them back to Sydney.
- Jurors heard the case will lean on DNA from vehicles and phone-tower data, and that Zahabe searched "No extradition countries" and Quran forgiveness phrases the day after the attack.
- Police have identified a third driver but say those who organised the alleged contract hit have not been found, as the defence challenges motive and questions whether the shot that hit Maghnie was stray.