Members of the Haddara family are accused of kidnapping, holding captive and bashing a man who refused to divulge a contact he allegedly had at VicRoads who was able to register stolen vehicles, a jury has heard.
Cousins Waleed and Saad Haddara have been charged with kidnapping the man, who the County Court heard today knew them because he was moving drugs for the family and in doing so, had become addicted to ice.
The victim cannot be named for legal reasons.
The pair, along with Waleed’s brother Fadi, are also charged with false imprisonment and intentionally causing serious injury. An alternative charge of recklessly causing serious injury is also open to the jury. All three have pleaded not guilty.
In his opening address today, prosecutor Ray Elston, SC, said the victim and another man had driven to Waleed’s home in Central Avenue, Altona Meadows on or about October 3, 2010, to ask whether they were having him followed.
The court heard the Haddaras had wanted to get hold of the contact he apparently had at VicRoads who could register stolen cars and motorbikes.
Waleed said he had spoken to the man who he thought was following him, who had denied any such suggestion, before he produced a handgun and told the man “Fadi (had) better hear about that”.
The court heard the man was kidnapped and then driven at gunpoint against his will to Fadi’s address in Third Avenue, Altona North, where he was taken to a bungalow.
While there, he claims he was repeatedly punched and kicked in the head by Fadi, Waleed and others, including the friend he had driven to Waleed’s house with, who was promised free drugs by the Haddaras if he participated.
“In total these assaults lasted one-and-a-half hours,” Mr Elston said.
During this time, the trio are accused of going through his phone contacts and threatening to rape the man’s girlfriend if he did not tell them who his VicRoads contact was.
The victim claims he was then placed in Waleed’s gold BMW, before being transferred to a van because he was bleeding so much, and was driven to his sister’s home.
The court heard his sister took photos of his injuries before he had to be hospitalised due to the seriousness of those injuries.
Waleed, Fadi and Saad were arrested on March 18 last year and denied any involvement in such events.
Fadi also denied having had the victim at his house and Saad denied knowing the victim.
But DNA from the bungalow where the alleged assault took place could not be ruled out as the victim’s blood, Mr Elston said.
Defence barrister Justin Hanneberry, for Waleed, said the fundamental matter in respect to his client was whether the prosecution could prove that Waleed was present and participated in any such events.
Nick Papas, QC, for Fadi, told the jury the central question was the “reliability, the veracity and the truthfulness” of the victim.
And Phillip Skehan, for Saad, said: “My client says he simply doesn’t know anything about this incident and wasn’t involved”.
The trial, before Judge Mark Taft, continues.
– Andrea Petrie/The Age
