Shooters admit firing guns at boxing, but deny killing

Abdullah El Nasher (file image)
Abdullah El Nasher is accused of firing the shots that killed one man and wounded another. -PR Handout Image

Abdullah El Nasher and Osamma Allouche both fired guns outside a Melbourne boxing match where a man was killed and another was injured.

Benjamin Togiai was struck in the chest and killed outside the Big Time Boxing event at the Melbourne Pavilion on March 1, 2019 and Omar Bchinnati required emergency surgery to remove a bullet from his leg.

The two shooters have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder, claiming they were acting in self-defence.

It's El Nasher's shots that are alleged to have struck both Mr Togiai and Mr Bchinnati, prosecutor Sarah Thomas told a Victorian Supreme Court jury on Wednesday.

His barrister Damian Sheales says that's in dispute.

Both he and Allouche's barrister John Desmond rejected allegations the pair had acted as part of an agreement to kill or really seriously injure a group of men who had been sitting at a neighbouring table inside the event.

El Nasher arrived at the event first, along with his girlfriend, older brothers and friends, Ms Thomas said.

She said El Nasher knew in advance that Bchinnati was going to be at the event - he was sponsoring a boxer whose name appeared on the tickets his girlfriend had sent him earlier that evening.

Witnesses say there was tension between El Nasher's group, on table 28, and another group on table 64 that included Mr Togiai and Mr Bchinnati.

Soon after arriving El Nasher left and allegedly returned to his car to arm himself. CCTV footage shows El Nasher placing something in a bag as he approached the front of the event centre, Ms Thomas said.

A witness told police that when El Nasher returned inside he appeared to clutch the bag in front of his stomach as if he was guarding something.

He's then alleged to have turned off his phone or put it on airplane mode to disguise his location, before using another phone or directing someone else to contact Allouche on his behalf.

"Melbourne Pavilion. 28. Bring my little friend with you and come," Ms Thomas said, reading from messages sent at 8.36pm.

There was a call between the two numbers and Allouche allegedly replied "I'm on my way".

El Nasher was outside the main door when Allouche arrived and the pair ducked in and out together a couple of times before El Nasher headed across the road and Allouche went inside alone.

Ms Thomas suggested that was a signal to their group that a confrontation was about to begin.

Just before 10pm the groups on tables 28 and 64 were booted out by event organisers, only referred to as Mr Gatto and Mr Haddara.

As they gathered outside, El Nasher ran across the road and fired several shots. Allouche fired a single shot and then El Nasher fired again.

Mr Desmond claimed Allouche had fired after seeing another man, Joseph Abouchaya, pull out a gun inside the venue.

Mr Abouchaya was shot inside the foyer of the event, in an incident that Ms Thomas said was unrelated but which gives context to what occurred outside.

The trial is expected to run for several weeks.