Hugo Jacobs acquitted of murdering nightclub identity Todd OConnor

A man who said he fled from a planned drug rendezvous with a Sydney nightclub identity because he heard gunshots has been found not guilty of his murder.

 Last July, a NSW Supreme Court jury could not agree on a verdict in the murder trial of Hugo Jacobs, but today he was acquitted at a retrial.

However, he did not walk free because he is awaiting sentence in the NSW District Court after being found guilty last December of supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug.

Jacobs, 29, was accused of luring Todd O'Connor, 41, to an isolated street in Sydney's south at Tempe, next to a small park, and carrying out "an execution-style" killing.

Two guns were used to shoot Mr O'Connor 10 times on the evening of October 5, 2008.

Prosecutor John Kiely SC said Mr O'Connor, who worked at Kings Cross and Oxford Street nightclubs, had been demanding Jacobs repay a $300,000 debt.

But Jacobs said he was to meet Mr O'Connor for a drug deal, but he fled - when he was about 20 metres from the scene - after hearing loud bangs.

His lawyer Graham Turnbull SC said the victim had a "lengthy history associated with the Ibrahim family", referring to brothers connected to Sydney nightclubs.

He also noted conversations, secretly recorded by police after the murder, in which Jacobs said Mr O'Connor "was a much-hated person with a lot of enemies".

In one, he said he had nothing to do with the murder, adding: "It could have been any number of people all over Australia."

At the time of the killing, the victim was under surveillance by the NSW Crime Commission for alleged involvement in the sale and distribution of drugs.

His phone was intercepted and just before the shooting Jacobs was recorded as telling Mr O'Connor: "I'm just in the park."

Jacobs told police he had been at his parents' house at a barbecue and watching TV on the night of the killing, but at his trial he admitted he had lied.

He said he had sneaked out with $20,000 in cash to meet Mr O'Connor, who asked him to help "move" some good-quality cocaine as he wanted to use someone "outside" his usual crew.

"He said his partner was not there and he didn't want to give him half. It was a private deal," Jacobs said.

Police searched Mr O'Connor's inner-city unit the day after the murder and found a bag containing $635,000 in cash.

They also noticed the lock on the door had been damaged and ascertained that a safe, which had been bolted to the floor, was missing.

During his first trial, Jacobs' wife had been supportive of him, but they have since parted and she gave evidence at the retrial saying he had admitted the shooting to her.

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