A third man involved in the fatal drive-by shooting outside Melbourne's Love Machine nightclub has been sentenced to six years in prison for helping to hide the gun used in the attack.
As Supreme Court Justice Andrew Tinney handed down his sentence, he said Moussa Hamka, 28, was "protecting his friend" after the weapon was found in his room.
Jacob Elliot used the gun to kill security guard Aaron Osmani and nightclub patron Richard Arow when he opened fire from a moving vehicle driven by Allan Fares outside the club in the early hours of April 14, 2019.
During Elliot's trial, the court heard Fares had handed a bag with the gun to an associate to have the weapon hidden.
More than two months later, police found the gun while conducting a search of Hamka's home in Epping.
He was arrested and charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder and possessing a firearm.
During Hamka's trial, the court heard he hid the gun after being offered $3,000 dollars by an unknown person through a private message on Wickr.
His lawyers argued he did not know the weapon was involved in the shooting.
But in sentencing, Justice Tinney said Hamka "undoubtedly knew" about the crime given his "connection with the principal offender" and the publicity it had received.
"You were well aware what the item was," Justice Tinney said.
"That it was a critical exhibit sought by police and that your retaining and hiding it would assist your friends to avoid apprehension," he said.
Hamka was sentenced to six years in prison, more than a year of which has already been served.
He will be eligible for parole in 2027.
Both Elliot and Fares were sentenced to life in prison in September.
