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Melbourne cafe killers jailed for 34 years over Gavin Preston murder - Melbourne, VIC
Smart summary
Jaeden Tito and Rabii Zahabe have each been sentenced to 34 years in prison for the 2023 contract killing of underworld figure Gavin Preston outside a Keilor cafe.
Two men have been sentenced to 34 years in prison each for the murder of Melbourne underworld figure Gavin “Capable” Preston in a targeted shooting outside a cafe in Keilor. Jaeden Tito, 25, and Rabii Zahabe, 26, were sentenced in the Victorian Supreme Court on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, after a jury found both men guilty of murder and attempted murder earlier this year.
Preston, aged 50, was killed outside Sweet Lulu’s cafe in Keilor on 9 September 2023. He had been sitting outside the cafe with his friend Abbas “AJ” Maghnie when two masked men allegedly arrived in a stolen vehicle and opened fire. Preston was fatally shot, while Maghnie was also wounded but survived the attack. The shooting happened in a public area, forcing cafe customers and other people nearby to flee as the gunfire erupted.
Prosecutors argued that Tito and Zahabe had been hired as contract killers to carry out the assassination. The court heard that the attack involved significant planning and the use of stolen vehicles as part of the getaway. Investigators later linked the accused men to evidence from the crime and their movements following the shooting. The identity of the person who allegedly commissioned the killing has remained unresolved.
Both men had denied being the masked shooters during the trial. However, a jury returned guilty verdicts in May 2026 after considering evidence presented during the Supreme Court proceedings. The prosecution maintained that the killing was a planned underworld contract rather than a spontaneous confrontation.
During sentencing, Justice Michael O'Connell described the murder as a ruthless and callous disregard for human life. He said the killing was a contract killing involving a high degree of planning and sophistication. The court also considered the danger created by carrying out such an attack in a public place, where other people could have been seriously injured or killed.
Although both men received 34-year sentences, their individual non-parole periods differ. Tito will be eligible for parole after 26 years, while Zahabe will be eligible after 27 years. They will therefore spend more than two decades in prison before becoming eligible to apply for release.
The sentencing brings the court proceedings against the two accused shooters to a major conclusion, but questions remain about who ordered Preston’s killing and the wider circumstances surrounding the alleged contract. Police and investigators have previously examined several possible motives connected to Melbourne’s organised-crime environment.
The case has also highlighted the risks created when organised-crime disputes are carried out in public locations. The attack occurred during ordinary morning activity at a suburban cafe, exposing customers and members of the public to potentially lethal violence.
The two men are now serving their lengthy prison sentences, while the person or people allegedly behind the contract killing remain unidentified.
CafeKillingContractCourtMurder
Two men have been sentenced to 34 years in prison each for the murder of Melbourne underworld figure Gavin “Capable” Preston in a targeted shooting outside a cafe in Keilor. Jaeden Tito, 25, and Rabii Zahabe, 26, were sentenced in the Victorian Supreme Court on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, after a jury found both men guilty of murder and attempted murder earlier this year.
Preston, aged 50, was killed outside Sweet Lulu’s cafe in Keilor on 9 September 2023. He had been sitting outside the cafe with his friend Abbas “AJ” Maghnie when two masked men allegedly arrived in a stolen vehicle and opened fire. Preston was fatally shot, while Maghnie was also wounded but survived the attack. The shooting happened in a public area, forcing cafe customers and other people nearby to flee as the gunfire erupted.
Prosecutors argued that Tito and Zahabe had been hired as contract killers to carry out the assassination. The court heard that the attack involved significant planning and the use of stolen vehicles as part of the getaway. Investigators later linked the accused men to evidence from the crime and their movements following the shooting. The identity of the person who allegedly commissioned the killing has remained unresolved.
Both men had denied being the masked shooters during the trial. However, a jury returned guilty verdicts in May 2026 after considering evidence presented during the Supreme Court proceedings. The prosecution maintained that the killing was a planned underworld contract rather than a spontaneous confrontation.
During sentencing, Justice Michael O'Connell described the murder as a ruthless and callous disregard for human life. He said the killing was a contract killing involving a high degree of planning and sophistication. The court also considered the danger created by carrying out such an attack in a public place, where other people could have been seriously injured or killed.
Although both men received 34-year sentences, their individual non-parole periods differ. Tito will be eligible for parole after 26 years, while Zahabe will be eligible after 27 years. They will therefore spend more than two decades in prison before becoming eligible to apply for release.
The sentencing brings the court proceedings against the two accused shooters to a major conclusion, but questions remain about who ordered Preston’s killing and the wider circumstances surrounding the alleged contract. Police and investigators have previously examined several possible motives connected to Melbourne’s organised-crime environment.
The case has also highlighted the risks created when organised-crime disputes are carried out in public locations. The attack occurred during ordinary morning activity at a suburban cafe, exposing customers and members of the public to potentially lethal violence.
The two men are now serving their lengthy prison sentences, while the person or people allegedly behind the contract killing remain unidentified.
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