A man accused of shooting a father dead outside a pool hall and injuring another man will walk free from court after a jury acquitted him of all charges.
Sekonaia Vave faced a two-week jury trial in the Supreme Court after he was charged with the murder of 33-year-old Ikenasio Tuivasa who was gunned down outside the All Star Lounge in Melbourne's west.
A ute pulled up on the evening of February 27, 2021, and sprayed bullets at the venue, killing Mr Tuivasa, a father of five, and leaving a second man injured, prosecutors told the jury.
The second man, Reza Amir, was alleged to have been the intended target of the shooting.
Prosecutors claimed Vave fired four to five shots at the pool hall from the passenger seat of the ute, in retribution for an argument between his and Mr Amir's girlfriends the night before.
But Vave's barrister Philip Dunn KC told the jury police were relying too heavily on Mr Amir's version of events, saying they were going "by gossip" in pursuing Vave.
"If you step away from their critical witness ... and look at the independent evidence, then you might see a completely different picture," he told the jury.
Twelve jurors retired to deliberate on their verdict on Friday and returned with their decision at 12.50pm on Monday.
They found Vave was not guilty or murder and attempted murder, and also acquitted him of an alternate charge of homicide by firearm.
Justice John Champion thanked the jurors for their service as he discharged them.
"On behalf of the Victorian community, I express my gratitude to you for your careful consideration of the case," he said.
Vave will be released on bail as he facing a charge of possessing cannabis in Melbourne Magistrates Court.
