A RAYMOND Terrace man has become the third person charged over the murder of a Tanilba Bay drug dealer, with detectives alleging the 26-year-old kidnapped and sexually assaulted a woman immediately after the victim was shot in the face.
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The man, 26, has been behind bars since he was arrested by heavily-armed police at Wallsend in September - only a few days after the victim was shot dead while driving his car on Hideaway Drive at Salt Ash.
The man was taken from Clarence Correctional Centre to Grafton police station on Friday where he was charged with murder, kidnapping to obtain advantage, possession of a shortened firearm and aggravated sexual assault.
He appeared briefly in Grafton Local Court on Friday and Magistrate Paul MacMahon made an order suppressing the names of all three men charged over the murder and the victim.
The 26-year-old was refused bail to appear in Raymond Terrace Local Court on December 20.
The man is the third person charged by Strike Force Breve detectives investigating the murder of the 45-year-old drug dealer about 1.45pm on August 29.
Two other men, aged 27 and 39, both of Raymond Terrace, remain behind bars after being arrested last week.
The 27-year-old was charged with murder, but it is understood police do not allege he was the gunman, but instead claim he was at the scene of the shooting with two other men and drove the getaway car, a white Hyundai Santa Fe, which was later found burnt out in Masonite Road, Heatherbrae.
Police released CCTV footage earlier this month showing a man running down Masonite Road before throwing the keys to the Sante Fe, which police say was a rental car, onto the roof of a business about 45 minutes after the victim was shot.
The 39-year-old was charged with accessory after the fact to murder and kidnapping.
Detectives are still looking for one other man alleged to have been in the victim's car at the time of the shooting.
