Sixty others also wanted Nick Martin dead, lawyers claim as judge retires to consider verdict

Sixty other people wanted Nick Martin dead, lawyers have told a judge presiding over his murder trial as they say David Pye was not the person who paid a trained sniper to shoot him from long range in front of 2000 people at Kwinana Motorplex in 2020.

David Pye has been on trial over Martin’s death and other charges relating to alleged plans to have another bikie and an ex-girlfriend killed.

Police allege that Pye paid a former soldier $150,000 to kill Martin after the former friends fell out following Pye’s defection to a rival bikie gang.

He denies all accusations and as the trial came to a close on Thursday, his legal team told Supreme Court judge Joseph McGrath that “there were 60 other suspects” who could have contracted the killing.

The only evidence against Pye is the word of a 39-year-old former soldier already serving a 20-year sentence for Martin’s murder.

The former soldier took to the witness stand during the sensational trial and gave evidence that Pye offered him money to kill the 51-year-old and also asked if he would kill exiled Comanchero bikie Ray Cilli and an ex-girlfriend who had accused him of assault.

As judge McGrath retired on Thursday to consider his verdict, Pye’s legal team closed their submissions with the proposition that maybe it wasn’t Pye that ordered the hit, but one of many others who also wanted him dead.

“In relation to any of those other suspects - we’re not being critical of the police … but what’s clear is from January of 2021 the priority was Pye,” David Hallowes, SC, told the court.

“He’s the only suspect to be investigated at present.

“But this is not the case where there is just one suspect and we couldn’t conceive of anyone else putting out a contract.”

Hallowes has repeatedly told the court that the only reason the sniper told police he was paid by Pye to kill Martin was to get a lesser sentence, knowing police had him in their sights.

“[The sniper] knew police were after Pye … and considering all the issues with his evidence … we say he’s the sort of person who will say ‘well I’ll go with that’ instead of naming the real person,” Hallowes said.

The former soldier was offered a plea deal by prosecutors after he admitted he was the person who shot Martin from 365 metres away on December 12 five years ago.

As lawyers finished giving their closing statements on Thursday, judge McGrath thanked them for their conduct during the trial and said they would be notified when he had reached a decision on the case.

In the meantime, Pye - who was controversially released on bail for the duration of the trial - was returned to prison to await his fate.