A media suppression order surrounding the manslaughter trial of Victor Codea’s assailants has been lifted by a South Australian Supreme Court judge, shedding light on the connections between one of the perpetrators and the criminal underworld of bikies.

The individuals involved Thomas Nicholls, Thomas Pinnington, Jeremy Sandell, and Kain Mazomenos were responsible for the fatal assault on 24-year-old Victor Codea in the car park of Adelaide High School in August 2020.

Codea was ambushed and fatally attacked while seated in his vehicle. The motive behind the assault stemmed from negative online reviews left by Mr. Codea regarding one of the assailant’s illicit online drug enterprises.

Recent developments have uncovered that Mazomenos is the offspring of the notorious bikie figure Shane Bowden, who met his demise in a hail of bullets, succumbing to over 20 gunshot wounds during a bikie feud on the Gold Coast in October 2020.

Furthermore, it has come to light that Mazomenos was affiliated with the outlawed Finks motorcycle gang at the time of Codea’s tragic death.

Mazomenos offered an apology in open court, addressing the Codea family in the presence of Justice Adam Kimber. However, the Codea family was notably absent during the sentencing submissions, opting not to present victim impact statements.

Expressing remorse, Mazomenos stated, “I am aware that you will never have the chance to see Victor again. As a parent myself, I cannot fathom the pain I have put you through.”

According to Mazomenos’ defense attorney, Nick Vadasz, Mazomenos had grown up believing his father was deceased, only to discover the truth of his survival when he turned 16. Vadasz went on to elaborate that this revelation led Mazomenos to establish a relationship with his father, thereby becoming entangled in a life connected to the criminal underworld.

Pinnington also extended his apologies within the courtroom, expressing profound regret for his participation in Codea’s untimely demise. He admitted to being the individual who launched an unprovoked attack by kicking Victor on the passenger side of his vehicle, emphasizing that he had no personal connection to the victim and acknowledging that Codea’s death was entirely unjustified.

Nicholls and Sandell opted to convey their apologies through written statements submitted to the court.

The defense counsel representing the perpetrators implored Justice Kimber to consider the gravity of the manslaughter charges, urging a classification at the “lower end category” due to the absence of weapons during the 80-second ambush.