Bulgarian 'hitman' accused of following Sydney crime lord before gunning him down claims he was just 'enjoying an ice cream during a Greek holiday'
- A Bulgarian man has denied shooting John Macris at Athens home last October
- Macris was getting into his car in front of home at Glfyfada before he was shot
- Yuliyanov J Raychev Serafim was arrested last Tuesday and charged over murder
- He told magistrate he was visiting Greece and was in the country for a holiday
A Bulgarian man who allegedly stalked and gunned down Australian gangster John Macris at his home in Greece has claimed he was holidaying on the island.
The Sydney gang boss was gunned down while getting into his Smart car, which was parked outside of his home in Glyfada, a suburb of Athens, in October.
CCTV footage shows a man dressed in black and wearing a baseball cap run toward the car before firing numerous shots.
Yuliyanov J Raychev Serafim, 31, who has denied any involvement in the 46-year-old's death, was arrested and charged with murder last week after allegedly returning to Athens on April 2 for another job.
Police allege Serafim is a professional hitman who was hired to kill Macris by an unknown underworld figure.
The 31-year-old allegedly tailed Macris before his death, during which he was seen at a cafe.
Serafim has denied the claims, saying he was on holiday at the time and had visited the cafe to buy an ice cream, The Age reported.
A Bulgarian man (centre) who allegedly stalked and gunned down Australian gangster John Macris at his home in Greece
John Macris is pictured with his partner Viktoria Karida
Macris was a Sydney businessman who fled to Athens in 2013 and is said to have run a highly organised crime racket, importing massive amounts of drugs into Australia.
Authorities said Macris told friends he thought he was being followed in the weeks before his death and decided to carry a gun.
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Serafim's lawyer, Alexandros Lykourezos, has argued that his client was not the shooter because 'he came to Greece for a holiday, that’s all.'
Lykourezos is one of the most well-known and expensive barristers in Greece and replaced the Seraim's former lawyer Apostolos Lytras on Monday.
Serafim previously denied his involvement, after CCTV footage of the shooting was leaked
Serafim's lawyer, Alexandros Lykourezos, has argued that his client couldn't have been the shooter because the gunman seen in the video is 'thinner'
Mr Lytras has previously argued there was not enough evidence to link Serafim to the shooting.
'There is no DNA from the crime scene, no eyewitnesses, there are no fingerprints and there is no weapon,' he told The Sydney Morning Herald.
'Furthermore I watched the video of the crime scene that was leaked to the [Greek] media and my first estimation is that the CCTV 'killer' is much taller and thinner than my client,' he concluded.
A witness has reportedly identified Serafim in the footage.
Macris was laid to rest at Sydney's Rookwood Cemetery last November. He leaves behind his model wife, Viktoria Karida, and their two young children, Alexandra and Achilles.
On Monday, his widow took to Instagram to post a heartfelt tribute to her partner with the caption, 'Agapi Mou' – translated in English to, 'My darling'.
Macris was a Sydney businessman who fled to Athens in 2013 and is said to have run a highly organised crime racket, importing massive amounts of drugs into Australia
Authorities said Macris told friends he thought he was being followed in the weeks before his death and decided to carry a gun
John Macris and Viktoria Karida at their 2016 wedding on the Greek island of Mykonos
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