00:32
LIQUID NEWS ENGINE
Glasgow-born Michael McGurk was shot dead outside his waterside Sydney mansion in a gangland-style execution.
Now the latest episode of “Sopranos on the Harbour”, as some have called it, is riveting Australians, following the arrest of McGurk’s former business associate, Ron Medich.
A multi-millionaire property developer who had been in dispute with McGurk, Medich has been charged with masterminding the murder. A Sydney court heard that shortly after McGurk was shot at close range in his driveway in front of his nine-year-old son, Luc, a text message stating “Job done” was received by a friend of Medich’s, Lucky Gattellari. Medich was allegedly with him.
The murder, in a well-heeled area, shone a light on a murky side of Sydney society. As well as being involved in property deals, McGurk, 57, had been a loan shark and debt collector with a violent reputation. The father of four had once been charged with firebombing a house. There were allegations of blackmail and corruption involving politicians.
At the time of his death, McGurk – who grew up in the Gorbals as Mick Rushford and changed his name when he emigrated to Australia in 1993 – had many enemies, accumulated during his rise from dirt-poor roots to apparent respectability. He sent his children to Sydney’s most exclusive Catholic school and was a pillar of his church, but those who knew his ruthlessness feared him. A week before his death, he told a journalist he believed a hitman was on his trail.
Medich seemed the most obvious suspect in the killing. McGurk reportedly owed him millions of dollars, and had been on the verge of having his house and his Mercedes S-class repossessed.
Although the finger was pointed at Medich, the 62-year-old denied any part in the killing – and still does. During a parliamentary inquiry into the corruption claims, which were later dismissed, one MP asked Medich: “Did you have any involvement in the murder of Michael McGurk?” He snapped: “You have got to be joking. You’re a shocker.”
Now Gattellari, a childhood friend of Medich’s, has turned police informant – and detectives say the former boxer, arrested a fortnight ago with three other men, claims Medich planned the whole thing. The price on McGurk’s head was $250,000 (£153,000), and later increased to $300,000, according to Gattellari.
Haissam Safetli, who – along with Christopher Estephan – has been charged with the murder itself, is also co-operating with police. Safetli claims Gattellari introduced him to Medich in a Sydney café last year. The court was told Medich asked Safetli: “Can you get this job done in four weeks? I want him [McGurk] gone. I want you do to it.”
Not true, say Medich’s lawyers, who insist Gattellari organised the murder behind Medich’s back. The motive? Gattellari owed Medich money too, and wanted him out of the way. He allegedly phoned Medich’s son, Peter, after his arrest, and told him: “I want $1m in bail, otherwise I will dump on your father.”
Medich was refused bail and is now in jail, a long way from his harbourside home in Australia’s most expensive street – Wolsey Road, in Point Piper.
His glamorous wife, Lithuanian-born Odetta, defended him in an interview with a Sydney tabloid, the Daily Telegraph. “What has happened is all based on rumour and gossip,” she said. “The media has been on a witchhunt.”
Police say Medich was “at the very top of the pyramid of this contract killing”, with Gattellari in charge of logistics. Estephan is accused of pulling the trigger, and the fifth man, Senad Kaminic, a former Bosnian soldier, is charged with being an accessory to murder.
Now the latest episode of “Sopranos on the Harbour”, as some have called it, is riveting Australians, following the arrest of McGurk’s former business associate, Ron Medich.
A multi-millionaire property developer who had been in dispute with McGurk, Medich has been charged with masterminding the murder. A Sydney court heard that shortly after McGurk was shot at close range in his driveway in front of his nine-year-old son, Luc, a text message stating “Job done” was received by a friend of Medich’s, Lucky Gattellari. Medich was allegedly with him.
The murder, in a well-heeled area, shone a light on a murky side of Sydney society. As well as being involved in property deals, McGurk, 57, had been a loan shark and debt collector with a violent reputation. The father of four had once been charged with firebombing a house. There were allegations of blackmail and corruption involving politicians.
At the time of his death, McGurk – who grew up in the Gorbals as Mick Rushford and changed his name when he emigrated to Australia in 1993 – had many enemies, accumulated during his rise from dirt-poor roots to apparent respectability. He sent his children to Sydney’s most exclusive Catholic school and was a pillar of his church, but those who knew his ruthlessness feared him. A week before his death, he told a journalist he believed a hitman was on his trail.
Medich seemed the most obvious suspect in the killing. McGurk reportedly owed him millions of dollars, and had been on the verge of having his house and his Mercedes S-class repossessed.
Although the finger was pointed at Medich, the 62-year-old denied any part in the killing – and still does. During a parliamentary inquiry into the corruption claims, which were later dismissed, one MP asked Medich: “Did you have any involvement in the murder of Michael McGurk?” He snapped: “You have got to be joking. You’re a shocker.”
Now Gattellari, a childhood friend of Medich’s, has turned police informant – and detectives say the former boxer, arrested a fortnight ago with three other men, claims Medich planned the whole thing. The price on McGurk’s head was $250,000 (£153,000), and later increased to $300,000, according to Gattellari.
Haissam Safetli, who – along with Christopher Estephan – has been charged with the murder itself, is also co-operating with police. Safetli claims Gattellari introduced him to Medich in a Sydney café last year. The court was told Medich asked Safetli: “Can you get this job done in four weeks? I want him [McGurk] gone. I want you do to it.”
Not true, say Medich’s lawyers, who insist Gattellari organised the murder behind Medich’s back. The motive? Gattellari owed Medich money too, and wanted him out of the way. He allegedly phoned Medich’s son, Peter, after his arrest, and told him: “I want $1m in bail, otherwise I will dump on your father.”
Medich was refused bail and is now in jail, a long way from his harbourside home in Australia’s most expensive street – Wolsey Road, in Point Piper.
His glamorous wife, Lithuanian-born Odetta, defended him in an interview with a Sydney tabloid, the Daily Telegraph. “What has happened is all based on rumour and gossip,” she said. “The media has been on a witchhunt.”
Police say Medich was “at the very top of the pyramid of this contract killing”, with Gattellari in charge of logistics. Estephan is accused of pulling the trigger, and the fifth man, Senad Kaminic, a former Bosnian soldier, is charged with being an accessory to murder.
