Surf star `concealed murder’: [1 All-round Country Edition]
John Stapleton, Caroline Keeping. The Australian; Canberra, A.C.T. [Canberra, A.C.T] 23 July 2004: 5.
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Abstract
WORLD-RANKED pro surfer Koby [Jai Abberton] helped cover up his brother Jai’s murder of a standover man, a Sydney court was told yesterday.
He said [Koby] acted as a go-between for his brother, the girlfriend and Mr [Ronald Reardon] and was aware of plans to dispose of thevehicle. Koby also allegedly helped Jai to replace the car windscreen, which had a bullethole in it.
Credit: Koby Abberton, Jai Abberton
Full Text
WORLD-RANKED pro surfer Koby Abberton helped cover up his brother Jai’s murder of a standover man, a Sydney court was told yesterday.
As Koby faced a committal hearing in the Downing Centre Local Court, Jai appeared in the NSW Supreme Court seeking bail after spending almost a year on remand.
Koby Abberton is charged with being an accessary after the fact to murder, perverting the course of justice, hindering a police investigation and concealing a serious offence.
Jai Abberton, said to be a founder of the notorious Bra Boys gang at Maroubra in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, is charged with murdering standover man Anthony Hines, whose body was thrown over a cliff after he was shot four times.
Jai’s defence barrister, Graham Turnbull, told judge Terence Buddin his client had acted in self-defence when he shot Hines.
Mr Turnbull said Hines acted “in a threatening way” as the two travelled in a car on August 5 last year driven by Jai’s girlfriend, whose name is suppressed.
It was “life or death” for Jai, who had said “I would end up the same as the dead guy” had he not killed Hines first, the court heard.
The NSW Director of Public Prosecutions said that on the same night, Jai and his girlfriend had returned to Koby’s house in Maroubra covered in a “significant” amount of blood.
The court heard Koby left his bedroom and had an animated conversation with his brother, meanwhile allowing Jai’s girlfriend to have a shower.
Crown prosecutor Darren Robinson said Koby then had another conversation with his brother, who yelled: “It was either me or him, you know that.”
Mr Robinson said another witness, Ronald Reardon, arrived.
Koby had allowed his black Commodore to be used to dispose of the gun and bloody clothing, Mr Robinson told the court.
He said Koby acted as a go-between for his brother, the girlfriend and Mr Reardon and was aware of plans to dispose of the vehicle. Koby also allegedly helped Jai to replace the car windscreen, which had a bullethole in it.
Mr Robinson said Koby falsely told police he knew nothing of the murder.
Magistrate Brian Lulham will decide on August 27 whether Koby is to stand trial. Judge Buddin held over his decision on Jai’s bail to today.