A man who tried to recruit an assassin to kill his ex-wife's preacher on the mistaken belief that he was interfering in their marriage, but instead ended up hiring an undercover police officer, has been jailed.
Pierre Assaad was sentenced in the Supreme Court of Victoria to five years behind bars after pleading guilty to inciting the murder of Baptist pastor Silas Issa more than two years ago.
But the 53-year-old will be able to apply for release imminently because he has already spent most of the non-parole period of two years and six months in custody.
Justice Michael Croucher said that police secrecy surrounding the case meant specific details of the plot and the "level of nastiness in Mr Assaad's head" would never be clear.
"Sentencing him today will allow him to set the wheels in motion and apply for parole," Justice Croucher said.
Pastor tells court of 'nightmare'
The sentence came after the pastor broke down as he told the Supreme Court about the devastating impact of being targeted in a murder plot at the height of Melbourne's lockdown.
Mr Issa said making decisions about his family's safety was an "emotional nightmare".
Mr Issa said when he signed up to be a pastor "I did so to help people".
"I never thought this would one day lead to a crime committed against me," he said.
"I do not wish revenge on the accused, rather I seek justice and fairness.
"I hope the price I paid for standing against systemic and toxic masculinity does not go to waste."
Assaad wanted 'revenge', court hears
Assaad appeared in court wearing a black suit and white shirt and was supported by about a dozen loved ones.
The Supreme Court heard that in May 2020, Assaad went to the Bunnings car park in Craigieburn and met with an undercover police officer, who he believed to be a hit man.
At that point, his 25-year marriage had broken down and his ex-wife was being supported by Mr Issa, their pastor.
The court was told that Assaad asked the police officer about how much it would cost for someone to be killed, and whether it would be best if it looked like an accident.
Assaad told the officer that Mr Issa was a "bastard" who had torn apart his family, and compared himself to a "camel".
"I don't feel relaxed until I take my revenge," he said.
Assaad and the police officer developed a crude code to discuss the hit, referring to the planned killing as "building permits".
A few days before their next meeting in June 2020, the Supreme Court heard that Assaad called the police officer and identified himself as the "Bunnings man".
"I've got the documents from the council, everything's been approved," he said, referring to a dossier he had created about his victim for the bogus hit man.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard details of the conversation between the two, including Assaad telling the police officer that he did not want Mr Issa's body to be found and that he was "2,000 per cent sure" that he did not want to change his mind on the hit.
Lawyer urges sentencing judge to consider character references
Lawyer Rishi Nathwani, who defended Assaad, acknowledged that the crime was serious and that a "significant prison sentence" was appropriate.
"The offending was not sophisticated," Mr Nathwani said.
"It was always destined to fail as it involved inciting an undercover police operative posing as a hit man."
But he told the Supreme Court that the events leading up to his client hiring a supposed hit man were just as significant.
Mr Nathwani said that his client was initially looking for non-lethal options for other people he believed had wronged his family, before later settling on killing Mr Issa.
"It's quite clear, when he first met the covert operative … he was interested in something else," he said.
"To say that it was not spontaneous, isn't true," he said.
He urged Justice Croucher to consider seven character references in his favour and the tests results for a bible correspondence course.
"There is a completely different side to Pierre Assaad," Mr Nathwani said.
But prosecutor Mark Rochford KC said Assaad was not "inveigled" into hiring a hit man.
"They didn't happen to bump into each other and start this conversation in a vacuum," Mr Rochford said.
"He's meeting … because he wants a hit man."
Assaad has been in custody for 908 days.
