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AAP
AAP
National
Karen Sweeney

Mystery why grocer targeted and killed

A man has gone on trial for the murder of grocer Paul Virgona, shot and killed driving to work. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Grocer Paul Virgona was on his way to a Melbourne market to sort his daily order of fruit and veg when he was shot dead.

Eleven rounds from a semi-automatic handgun were fired into the driver's side of his van, with seven striking the 46-year-old.

Prosecutors say Aaron Ong and Josh Rider watched Mr Virgona's Croydon home for two hours prior and had formed an agreement to kill him.

Mr Virgona didn't know the men, had no criminal associations and wasn't associated with the motorcylce club Ong and Rider were both linked to.

"There was nothing in Mr Virgona's background that explained why he was targeted and killed," he said.

Prosecutors also can't say if it was Ong or Rider who fired the fatal shots.

"One was driving and one was shooting," Mark Gibson KC told jurors in the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday.

The prosecution case is that each was complicit in Mr Virgona's murder, having a joint intention to kill or really seriously injure him.

Ong has pleaded not guilty to murder. Rider's murder case is being run separately.

In the hours before the shooting Ong and Rider were both at the premises of the unnamed motorcycle club they associated with, Mr Gibson told jurors.

It's alleged they travelled to a property in rural Mooroolbark together, leaving a getaway car parked in the driveway of a home under construction, before travelling to Mr Virgona's home in a stolen Mercedes.

They're alleged to have watched Mr Virgona's home before following him when he left for work about 2am on November 9, 2019.

Grocer Paul Virgona was shot and killed while driving to work on the Eastlink freeway. (Julian Smith/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

He was headed for the Epping markets and drove along the Eastlink freeway, through the Melba tunnel to get there.

About 15 minutes after leaving home, the Mercedes pulled alongside his car and the shots were fired, hitting him between the waist and knee.

The vehicle spun out of control, stopping in the right lane of the freeway about 100 metres from the Mitcham Road overpass.

Mr Virgona died from blood loss at the scene.

Ong and Rider fled, returning to the Mooroolbark property, Mr Gibson alleged.

CCTV footage captured the Mercedes set alight before two men leave in the Amarok.

A builder who was earlier notified by the security cameras to the arrival of the Amarok had taken down its number plate and called triple zero after seeing the vehicle alight.

About 3am police spotted the Amarok and took chase, following as it reached up to 100km/h through residential streets.

The driver crashed into a give way sign and two men ran, one taking two bags from the car but dropped them about 10m away in front of a fence.

Both bags contained clothing. DNA found on one of the bags was 100 billion times more likely to match Ong than another person, Mr Gibson told the jury.

The gun used in the shooting was never recovered.

It's alleged Ong used his housemate's computer to search "Melbourne breaking news shooting Eastlink" later on November 9.

Mr Gibson's opening statement is expected to continue on Tuesday, before Ong's barrister Mark Gumbleton opens the defence case.

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