I organised Scot’s death for tycoon, ex-boxer tells court
A FORMER professional boxer has told a court he organised the murder of a Scots businessman who was gunned down in Australia on the orders of a millionaire property developer.
Fortunato ‘Lucky’ Gattellari said he helped his friend Ron Medich have former business partner Michael McGurk killed.
Mr McGurk, 45, originally from Glasgow’s Gorbals, was killed by a single bullet to the head outside his Sydney home in September 2009.
Medich, 69, has been accused of arranging for property developer Mr McGurk to be shot dead after their business relationship soured.
He has pleaded not guilty to the murder of the father-of-four and the subsequent intimidation of his widow, Kimberley, on August 8, 2010.
Gattellari told New South Wales Supreme Court about the day in early 2009 when Medich was said to have asked him to arrange the murder.
The 67-year-old said Medich complained that Mr McGurk – who emigrated to Australia in 2003 – was ‘ruining my life’.
Gattellari said Medich added: ‘He’s got my deeds tied up in certain areas. He’s bought himself a house for one million or so dollars and I can’t get it back.’ The ex-boxer told the court: ‘He was pacing up and down the office saying, “that b ****** ’s making me look like an absolute
‘He is ruining my life’
idiot, people in the eastern suburbs must think I’m a fool”.
‘He was quite angry and upset and at that stage he asked me whether I could find someone to kill the b ****** .’
In the weeks following their discussion, he said he found two brothers who would carry out the murder for £170,000 and the subsequent intimidation for another £110,000.
The former boxing champion said Medich told him: ‘I’ll go and get the dosh for you’ when he arrived at his home to collect the money. The tycoon then allegedly handed him a shopping bag with more than £140,000 in cash inside, split up into vacuum-packed plastic bags.
The transfer of the rest of the money was said to have taken place in much the same way after the murder.
Gattellari said that after Mr McGurk was killed he asked Medich if he was happy and claimed the businessman replied: ‘It’s taken f ****** long enough, and look at the s*** it’s caused.’
Prosecutors have said Medich wanted to have Mr McGurk permanently removed from his life as the two were embroiled in a number of messy legal actions, with each accusing the other of owing millions.
Gattellari has already been jailed over his involvement and received a discounted sentence after agreeing to give evidence against Medich.
Haissam Safetli, 51, who is thought to have fired the fatal
‘People must think I’m a fool’
shot, is serving a seven-year sentence.
His 27-year-old accomplice, Christopher Estephan, who was present when Mr McGurk was shot, was jailed for four-and-ahalf years.
Medich is standing trial over the murder for a second time after a jury failed to reach a verdict in the case last year.
The trial continues.