THE father of a man found dead in a western Sydney drain always knew his son would meet a violent end.

Max Gibson, aged 30 when he died, was a close friend of Sydney’s notorious Vincent family.

He disappeared on the second day of a trial in which he was facing arson charges. His wallet had been found at the scene of the fire, along with a shoe belonging to Tony Vincent Jr. It was alleged he and Tony Vincent Jr had been involved in the arson attack on a house in the upmarket suburb of Woollahra that property developer Jim Byrnes was in the process of buying.

Gibson’s body was found in March 2001 in a drain in the inner- west suburb of Marrickville. Police initially thought he had died of an overdose but now believe he was murdered with a “hot shot” of heroin.

Gibson’s father, Max Gibson Sr, told Glebe Coroners Court yesterday he had repeatedly warned his son he was mixing with the wrong people. “I told him he was going to die. I tried to impress on him that his life was at stake. I knew all along that was going to be the final result.”

Mr Gibson said he had repeatedly asked his son: “Do you know how easy it is for them to knock someone like you off?”

Vincent patriarch Tony Sr faces trial next July on charges including making false statements. Tony Jr is in jail for supplying drugs, as is Shamus Vincent. Jamieson Vincent faces sentencing for supplying drugs.

Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge adjourned the inquest until April.