UPDATE: A sex worker has shared a heart-wrenching account of the moment crime boss Bilal Hamze was brutally gunned down outside a Sydney restaurant on June 17, 2021. The shocking testimony came during the ongoing trial of Samuel John Rokomaqisa, the man accused of the murder.
Emerging details reveal that the victim and the woman had just finished a meal at Kid Kyoto restaurant, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Moments later, chaos erupted when a loud bang rang out, prompting Hamze to flee. “I’ve never heard anything like it. I didn’t know what it was,” she recalled, visibly shaken as she recounted her desperate attempts to help him.
As the gunfire continued, she hid in an alcove, paralyzed by fear. After the last shot was fired, she rushed to Hamze, who was lying facedown on the pavement, gravely injured. “I ran up to Bill and touched his arms and back and I was screaming ‘stop’ and ‘help’,” she described her frantic actions. Despite her efforts to call emergency services, she was too distraught to communicate effectively and hung up.
Hamze sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his abdomen, hip, and elbow and tragically succumbed to his injuries later in the hospital. The court learned that his final moments were filled with agony, as he struggled to make sounds before losing consciousness.
The trial in the NSW Supreme Court is focused on the allegations against Rokomaqisa, a 35-year-old associated with the rival Alameddine crime network. He has pleaded not guilty not only to Hamze’s murder but also to conspiring to kill Hamze’s brother, Ibrahem Hamze, and assaulting an elderly man during a separate carjacking incident.
Authorities assert that Rokomaqisa committed these acts to prove his loyalty to the gang and secure a position within it. However, his defense argues there is a lack of eyewitness evidence linking him to the crime scene. The court heard from a taxi driver who observed a black Audi circling the area just before the shooting. He described seeing flashes and hearing loud bangs emanating from the car’s front passenger window.
In a chilling call to emergency services, eyewitness Carolyn Howard reported hearing approximately ten shots fired and expressed her horror at witnessing a man groaning and bleeding. “He’s not breathing,” she said in the call, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
The sex worker also received multiple texts and calls from a male friend around the time of the incident, raising questions about her communication with a person of interest nearby. The defense noted that this individual was described as “frantic” during the critical moments surrounding Hamze’s death.
As the trial continues, the courtroom is filled with tension, reflecting the gravity of the situation. The emotional testimonies and stark details of the crime highlight the violent realities of gang-related activities in Sydney. This case is not only about justice for Hamze but also about the broader implications of organized crime within the community.
Stay tuned for further updates as the trial unfolds, revealing more about this tragic event and its aftermath.
