One of Melbourne’s most violent gangland figures, Gavin “Capable” Preston, has been shot dead in the city’s north-west in a suspected gangland attack just months after he was released from prison.
Preston, who had been waging bloody feuds with rivals in Melbourne’s gangland scene, was gunned down on Saturday morning at a cafe in Keilor Village.
The son of late underworld enforcer Nabil Maghnie, Abbas Jr “AJ” Maghnie, was with Preston at the cafe and was shot in the stomach, according to several underworld sources. He was rushed to hospital.
Sources, speaking anonymously to discuss the sensitive topic, said up to eight shots were fired at Preston and AJ Maghnie.
“They put a clip into him,” one underworld source told this masthead.
Police have cordoned off numerous potential crime scenes in Melbourne’s north-west as they scramble to piece together what occurred.
Police investigating at the scene of the shooting.Credit: Joe Armao
Homicide detectives have set up a crime scene in Keilor Village. Shops on either side of Sweet Lulus Cafe were closed and police tape blocked off part of the area. The body on the footpath outside the cafe has now been covered.
Police also taped off part of a car park near the Thirsty Camel bottle shop, where a white Holden ClubSport was parked. Police officers recorded details of the car.
Several onlookers tried to cross the police barricade. Police said one person was arrested for swearing at police and refusing to co-operate.
Police have also taped off Blair Court, to the south of the site of the shooting, while they examine a black Audi.
Police also closed a section of Old Calder Highway between Arabin and Kennedy streets.
Thirsty Camel employee Harrison Aylward, who was working in the store at the time of the shooting, said he heard “four quick pops” just after 10am.
“I just figured it was somebody’s car backing up a little bit. I walked out to see what was going on and I didn’t see anybody, so I guess they all sort of scattered off,” he said.
“As far as I know nothing like this has ever really happened here, so it’s a bit of a shock.”
The Sunday Age has been told that a contract was taken out on Preston’s life at least two months ago.
“It was just a matter of time, and there’s a lot of people who’ll be happy to see him dead. This idea he was going to settle down and go straight was total bullshit and everyone knew it,” another underworld source said.
Preston was involved in several extortion attempts after his release from prison, including standing over a business owner who had also been implicated in Nabil Maghnie’s death.
Maghnie was shot dead in Epping in January 2020, and Preston recently became close with AJ Maghnie. The pair were involved in a transport business based in Melbourne’s western suburbs.
Preston was also embroiled in a vicious feud with the Notorious Crime Family, which was founded by convicted drug trafficker and murderer George Marrogi, who is serving a non-parole term of 32-years in a maximum security cell in Barwon Prison.
According to police and underworld sources, Preston had threatened to rape Marrogi’s younger brother, Jesse Marrogi, upon his release from prison.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton confirmed on Saturday that a man in his 50s had been shot in Keilor Village.
Another male was shot in the stomach, Patton said. He did not confirm that any person had died.
Gavin Preston pictured arriving at the Supreme Court in August 2015. Credit: Fairfax Photographic
Police and the underworld went on high alert in April after Preston was released from jail after serving a nearly 11-year prison sentence over the shooting death of a drug trafficker.
Preston earned the nickname “Capable” because he is supposedly “capable of anything”.
He was regarded as one of the most feared and hated members of Melbourne’s underworld.
“They’ll be holding the wake in a phone box,” an underworld source said.
Police cordoned off a crime scene in Keilor Village on Saturday.Credit: Joe Armao
Since he was released from prison, Preston had been building a new crew based in the western suburbs that is suspected of involvement in a number of stand-overs and robberies.
Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRoZWFnZS5jb20uYXUvbmF0aW9uYWwvdmljdG9yaWEvdW5kZXJ3b3JsZC1maWd1cmUtZ2F2aW4tcHJlc3Rvbi1zaG90LWRlYWQtYXQtYS1tZWxib3VybmUtY2FmZS0yMDIzMDkwOS1wNWUzYzIuaHRtbNIBfmh0dHBzOi8vYW1wLnRoZWFnZS5jb20uYXUvbmF0aW9uYWwvdmljdG9yaWEvdW5kZXJ3b3JsZC1maWd1cmUtZ2F2aW4tcHJlc3Rvbi1zaG90LWRlYWQtYXQtYS1tZWxib3VybmUtY2FmZS0yMDIzMDkwOS1wNWUzYzIuaHRtbA?oc=5
2023-09-09 03:16:13Z
2417711462
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Underworld figure Gavin Preston shot dead at Melbourne cafe - The Age"
Post a Comment