A self-made millionaire turned hit-man has been sentenced to a minimum six-and-a-half years' jail for the murder of Sydney businessman and debt collector Michael McGurk.
Haissam Safetli is the third person to be sentenced for his role in the killing of Mr McGurk, who was shot at close range outside his Cremorne home in September 2009.
In handing down her judgement at Sydney's Supreme Court on Friday, Justice Megan Latham said Safetli was paid $300,000 for the job.
Almost a year later, he then intimidated Mr McGurk's widow Kimberley - for which he was sentenced to a minimum of six months.
The crown alleges property tycoon Ron Medich enlisted the help of associate and one-time featherweight boxing champion Lucky Gattellari to carry out the contract killing of Mr McGurk after their business relationship began deteriorating in late 2008.
Gattellari then allegedly recruited Senad Kaminic, Safetli and Christopher Estephan to help.
On the afternoon of September 3, 2009, the court heard Safetli - once the CEO of an accountancy firm - dressed himself in a black tracksuit and a khaki jacket and drank whiskey and smoked marijuana.
Then he and his 19-year-old co-accused Estephan drove to Mr McGurk's home and carried out the hit using a sawn-off rifle, Justice Latham said.
Safetli says Estephan was the shooter, although he denies this.
The court heard Safetli was once a self-made man, earning his first million at the age of 19 before rising to be worth $50 million by his mid-30s.
But this began crumbling when his marriage began to deteriorate - sparking him to sell off his assets below their market value, Justice Latham said.
Between 2008 to 2010 he tried to harm himself on several occasions and attempted to overdose.
He eventually quit his accountancy firm and assaulted one of his colleagues, she said.
Safetli - like Gattellari and Kaminic - received a heavy discount for assisting in the prosecution of co-accused Estephan and Medich.
He was sentenced to a minimum of seven years and a maximum nine-and-half years for Mr McGurk's murder and the subsequent intimidation of Mrs McGurk.
Taking into account time already served, his earliest date of release will be October 2017.
Estephan and Medich are currently facing a committal to determine whether they will stand trial.
