A father-and-son duo charged with hiring a hitman to kill two people, including a pastor of their former church, have faced court.
Pierre and John Assaad appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday for a committal proceeding testing the police case against them.
The duo are facing a combined seven charges including two counts each of conspiracy to murder.
Pierre, 51, appeared over video link wearing prison greens.
His son, John, 28, is on bail and sat in the courtroom scribbling notes as the two people they allegedly tried to have killed gave evidence.
Silas Issa, now a business consultant, was the pastor of a Baptist church in Essendon from about 1998 to 2013.
He had baptised John Assaad and had been to Pierre’s Lower Templestowe home for the occasional meal or coffee, he said.
He said he was “in shock” while giving his statement to police after officers turned up on his door on June 18 last year and informed him two men had been charged with taking out a hit on his life.
Mr Issa told the court he instantly suspected Pierre Assaad because it wasn’t the first time he had been told the member of his congregation wanted him dead.
“It was earlier that same year that I ran into an old member of the congregation who affirmed to me that years ago Pierre had paid somebody $10,000 to take ... my life.
“The other reason was because I was told years ago to be careful because Pierre had sent somebody to kill me.”
The Assaads are also charged with trying to have killed a woman who cannot be named for legal reasons.
She told the court she was “shocked” when police spoke to her about the alleged plot and that she hadn’t spoken to the pair in months.
The hearing continues Tuesday.
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