Bradley Humble, Aaron Hart, Minh Duy Nguyen on trial over plot to cut man’s tongue, fingers off for $25k

Three men have gone on trial accused of a bizarre plot to cut off a man’s hands and tongue in exchange for $25,000 cash. Former police officer turned powerlifter Bradley Leslie Humble and his mate Aaron Rhys Hart are defending allegations they pretended to be cops in a bid to enter Sabah Al Salem’s Canning Vale house in September 2022 as part of a conspiracy to hurt him. Minh Duy Nguyen is defending claims he devised the plan, with prosecutor Simon Watters telling the WA District Court it was the State’s case that he was the one who approached Mr Humble in exchange for the money months beforehand. He said over the course four months Mr Humble and Mr Nguyen communicated over an encrypted app about bashing Mr Al Salem. He said the pair knew each other through the powerlifting sport and met at a café in Rockingham on June 3 where Mr Nguyen allegedly requested Mr Al Salem’s fingers, hand or tongue be cut off on behalf of an associate of his. The court was told that a month later Mr Humble, who did not know the complainant, allegedly agreed to do the job and recruited his friend Mr Hart to help him. Mr Watters said when the pair arrived at the house, Mr Humble told Mr Al Salem they were police officers and had a warrant to search his home over a firearm they needed to seize in relation to a violence restraining order. He told the court Mr Al Salem then told the man at the door police had already seized the weapon, then became suspicious and asked them to leave. Mr Humble then allegedly pulled out black cable ties from a bag and told Mr Al Salem he was under arrest. However, he didn’t comply, with the court told he again asked them to leave and managed to call his friend. Mr Humble and Mr Hart then left. Mr Watters said Mr Humble contacted Mr Nguyen after, with the pair allegedly discussing on the encrypted app about carrying out the plan his way. Mr Nguyen allegedly responded: “You do you, boo.” The court was told Mr Humble and Mr Hart were arrested a few days later. Mr Nguyen was arrested a week after that. In his police interview, Mr Humble said he had agreed to inflict harm on Mr Al Salem for $25,000. But Mr Humble’s lawyer, Michael Perella, told the jury police told his client they were after Mr Hart so he told them “what they wanted to hear”. He then claimed the details regarding the hand, finger and tongue had come from an episode of The Blacklist. Mr Perella also told the jury his client admitted he was at Mr Al Salem’s house but had “stupidly” gone there not to hurt him but to pressure him to hand himself into police. He said when his client and Mr Nguyen met in June 2022, the latter told Mr Humble his cousin had recently taken her own life after being forbidden by her own father — his uncle — to report she had been raped. He said Mr Nguyen then claimed it was Mr Al Salem who violated her. Mr Perella told the court Mr Nguyen was very upset with his uncle and that messages between the pair on the app related to Mr Nguyen wanting Mr Humble to harm his uncle and for Mr Al Salem to hand himself in. He said the pair didn’t discuss the matter again, but his client kept ruminating about Mr Nguyen’s cousin and “couldn’t let it go”. So, he said, he “stupidly hired a car in his own name and went on September 9 to Mr Al Salem’s house with Mr Hart”. Mr Hart’s lawyer, Vito Laurino, told the jury his client, like all accused, are presumed innocent and asked them to consider if the pair were at the house for some other reason other than alleged by the prosecution. Mr Nguyen’s lawyer Damien Cripps told the jury the evidence against his client was limited and circumstantial and that his argument will be the conspiracy allegation has not been made out. The trial continues.