Alex Deligiannis and Darwin plumber Michael ‘Pelican’ Makrylos have given evidence to a Supreme Court trial into an alleged shooting spree.
Mr. Makrylos told the jury he lent his ute to accused gunman Benjamin Hoffman hours before the alleged spree on June 4, 2019, without knowing it was equipped with a Bowie knife and 50 shotgun cartridges.
Mr. Makrylos denied supplying Mr. Hoffman with weapons.
Mr. Hoffmann has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Mr. Makrylos told the court he bought the ammunition and knife for an upcoming hunting trip the same day Mr. Hoffman is alleged to have murdered four men.
Mr. Makrylos says the knife was a gift for his then 11-year-old daughter.
“It’s no secret that she loves to go hunting with her dad,” Makrylos’ wife Christina is quoted in ABC News.
Mr. Makrylos told the court he met Hoffman several times on the day of the alleged shooting spree.
Mr. Makrylos says the last time he saw Mr. Hoffman on June 4 was at about 4:00 pm or 5:00 pm when he agreed to lend the accused his car, despite knowing the knife and ammunition were still unsecured on the back seat, according to ABC News.
Mr. Makrylos was also shown photographs of the gun Mr. Hoffmann allegedly used that afternoon in the front seat of a white ute.
Mr. Makrylos identified the car as his property but told the jury the gun was not.
The jury was then shown CCTV from inside the shop, timestamped at 10:10 am on June 4, 2019, which showed Mr. Makrylos entering Coolalinga Guns & Ammo.
Mr. Makrylos identified himself in the footage.
Witness Jim Dick told the jury he sold Mr. Makrylos the knife and cartridges and remembered he asked for heavy-load shotgun cartridges to go pig hunting.
Mr. Dick said the customer asked him, “What would do the most damage?” when selecting which cartridges to buy.
Mr. Dick also said Mr. Makrylos told him the knife was a “present” for a “friend or a mate”.
Alexandros Deligiannis, the man prosecutors allege Hoffman was after, later took the stand.
Deligiannis told the jury he previously had a sexual relationship with the woman Hoffman believed was his girlfriend.
The witness denied “pimping” out Mr. Hoffmann’s lover and Mr. Deligiannis told the jury he had “never” been violent with her nor had he ever supplied her with methamphetamines.
Mr. Deligiannis also denied “pimping out” other women for sex work.
The trial is scheduled to run for another six weeks and will continue on Monday.
