Thi Kim Tran was grabbed by three masked men from her Bankstown home in southwest Sydney on April 17 before being tied up and bundled into a waiting vehicle.
The 45-year-old was killed in response to the theft of 80kg of methamphetamine by her husband Tung Nguyen, who was working as a "cook" at a farm in Springdallah, Victoria, Burwood Local Court was told on Wednesday.
Her body was found bound and gagged in the back of a burnt-out SUV.
The Anh Nguyen, 29, allegedly drove in a convoy with three hitmen to Ms Tran's address where he knocked on her door.
These details emerged as The Anh made a bail bid on Wednesday, which was rejected by Magistrate Robyn Denes.
After Ms Tran came out, the other men attacked, allegedly dragging her into the vehicle and assaulting an eight-year-old boy with a baseball bat.
The Anh's solicitor, Gregory Goold, said his client should be bailed because he faced a weak crown case.
Prosecutors rely heavily on statements from Ms Tran's husband which were unreliable, Mr Goold said.
Tung told police he had received threats to his wife's safety the day before she was murdered, the solicitor said.
But Mr Goold questioned whether the threats had indeed been made, pointing out that Tung made no attempt to warn his wife she was in danger.
"In the absence of threats then the evidence of a joint criminal enterprise starts to wither," he told the court.
There was also no evidence Nguyen knew what was about to take place as he went to Ms Tran's house wearing a white Real Madrid football T-shirt and shorts, making no attempt to disguise himself, the solicitor said.
He even drove his wife's car to the scene, the court was told.
Crown prosecutor Burton Ko opposed bail, saying there was an inference Nguyen knew about the coming attack.
Along the way to Ms Tran's home, the convoy stopped at a BP service station where one of the killers was already wearing a balaclava, he said.
One of them was armed with a baseball bat, which was not an easily concealable weapon, he said.
The 29-year-old was also a flight risk, with no ties to Australia but with unexplained wealth.
Ms Denes refused bail, finding the circumstantial case against The Anh was arguable, if not relatively strong.
There were also unacceptable risks if the 29-year-old were released, including that he could flee the country or endanger witnesses, the magistrate said.
Outside court, Mr Goold discussed how his client felt in prison.
"He's not happy to be there considering the circumstances of how all this arose and the position that's taken by the Crown relying on a man who seemingly didn't have any regard for his wife and made no attempt to try and save her," he told reporters.
A further bail application in the NSW Supreme Court was likely, he said.
Nguyen has been hit with a slew of charges including murder, kidnapping, conspiracy to murder, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and supplying a commercial amount of methylamphetamine.
He has not made any pleas.
The alleged hitmen - three men aged 20, 21 and 32 who cannot be legally named - have also been charged over the murder, kidnapping and conspiracy for murder.
The Anh and the three alleged assassins will appear at Burwood Local Court on January 14.
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