Jury discharged after extended deliberations in Sydney underworld murder trial
In a high-profile case tied to Sydney’s underworld, Acting Justice Robert Allan Hulme discharged the jury in the NSW Supreme Court trial of Samuel John Rokomaqisa after determining that extending deliberations into a fourth week would be futile. The decision comes as Rokomaqisa faced charges connected to a 2021 shooting that prosecutors say demonstrated loyalty to the rival Alameddine crime family.
Charges and court timeline
Rokomaqisa pleaded not guilty to the murder of Bilal Hamze, described as a boss of the Hamze crime family, along with conspiring to murder Hamze’s younger brother Ibrahem Hamze and assaulting an elderly man during a carjacking. The jury began deliberations in early August and entered their fourth week on Tuesday before being sent back to court by the judge.
No plausible path to a verdict
On the foreperson’s advice, Acting Justice Hulme concluded there was no likelihood of the jurors reaching even a majority 11-to-one verdict on any charge. He acknowledged the jurors’ lengthy service and thanked them for their effort and patience throughout an unusually protracted trial.
“You’ve been here a lot longer than anyone thought you would be,” the judge told the jurors in court this morning. “It is disappointing … a criminal trial can go this long and not have a decision either way. That’s part and parcel of the jury system.”
The shooting and the motive in context
Bilal Hamze was fatally shot multiple times after leaving a Japanese restaurant in Sydney’s city centre, an incident prosecutors described as retaliation connected to ongoing gang violence. He sustained injuries to the abdomen, hip and elbow and died in hospital. The Crown alleges Rokomaqisa acted to display loyalty to the Alameddine faction so they would recruit him, serving as a catalyst for the alleged murder and related crimes.
Defense position and evidence gaps
Rokomaqisa’s defense contends that eyewitness evidence does not place the Fijian man inside the black Audi observed circling the block and pausing beside Bilal Hamze when the shooting occurred. Jurors reportedly heard accounts from witnesses near the scene describing the car’s heavily tinted windows and a mask covering the shooter’s nose to the chin, complicating identification.
Next steps and what comes after
With the deliberations concluded, Rokomaqisa is scheduled to return to court on November 7 to hear whether a retrial will be ordered. The judge’s discharge of the jury effectively ends the current trial unless prosecutors opt for another trial on the same charges.
Context for the NSW underworld trials
This case is part of broader efforts by New South Wales authorities to tackle organized crime and violence linked to rival factions. The proceedings have drawn attention to how courts handle prolonged jury deliberations in complex criminal matters and the balance between giving juries time to deliberate and avoiding unnecessary delays in the justice system.
