Ron Medich

Ronald Edward Medich (born 11 April 1948, in Innisfail, Queensland) is an Australian property developer who, on 23 April 2018, was found guilty in the Supreme Court of New South Wales of ordering the 2009 contract murder of Scottish Australian businessman Michael McGurk, and the subsequent intimidation of McGurk's wife, Kimberly.

Medich is currently serving a 39-year sentence; and the earliest date he will be eligible for parole is 26 February 2048.

Medich was born in 1948 in, Queensland to a Croatian-born immigrant.

Medich's father worked as a canecutter, before moving to Cabramatta, Sydney and commenced developing land in Sydney's south-west.

Educated at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, Medich and his younger brother, Roy, developed industrial and residential sites in the area; including the El Toro Hotel, Liverpool, the Stardust Hotel, Cabramatta, and the Greenfield Tavern Hotel.

According to the BRW Rich 200, the Medich brothers' estimated net worth was $135 million in May 2005 and included property investments in south-western Sydney,, the Hunter Valley and Melbourne.

Following the 2007 sale of their Leichhardt investment property, Ron and Roy Medich split their business interests.

These matters were heard by the Court and dismissed on 8 April 2009, due to Medich failing to disclose material facts.

Costs were awarded against Medich.

In another matter, currently awaiting resolution, Medich and the Executors of McGurk's estate are in dispute.

The matter has been stood over, for the present.

Michael McGurk was shot by a single gunshot to his head some time between 6:30 pm and 6:45 pm on 3 September 2009 outside his family home in.

McGurk lived in the house with his wife, Kimberley, and their four children and were reportedly "... a Catholic family, a lovely family".

According to friends and McGurk's priest, he was a generous man and doting father.

McGurk's nine-year-old son, Luc, was with him at the time of the shooting and is reported to have been a witness to the murder.

Emergency services were called to the murder scene and rendered assistance to McGurk; however he could not be saved and died at the scene of the shooting.

Within days of McGurk's death, it was revealed that McGurk had a tape recording of a conversation with Medich, which McGurk was allegedly using to try to extort money from Medich.

It was alleged that Medich was attempting to influence government officials by improper means.

It was reported that Medich sought planning approval to Rezone land that he owned at Badgerys Creek on the south-western fringes of Sydney.

There was immense and, what some described as, sensational media coverage about these tapes, their content, and possible ramifications.

On 5 September 2009 the Sydney Morning Herald ran with a front-page banner: "Exclusive: Secret tape blamed for killing" and, directly below the banner: "It could bring down the Government."

On 6 September 2009, Graham Richardson, a former senior Government minister in the Hawke and Keating Labor governments and now political lobbyist, told Channel Nine that he had heard the tape and the key part which apparently exposes the Labor figures was inaudible.

Richardson went on to say that McGurk was allegedly trying to blackmail Medich for $8 million and that Richardson had provided a formal statement to NSW Police in around June 2009.

Commenting on Richardson's very public denial of the tapes containing any matter of substance, Jennifer Hewett, national affairs columnist with The Australian, wrote:

On 8 September 2009, NSW Police passed a copy of the tape to ICAC.

However, on 9 September 2009, a motion was carried in the Legislative Council to establish an inquiry into Badgerys Creek land dealings and planning decisions.

The inquiry's terms of reference included inquiring into and "report on land dealings and planning decisions relating to land or interests in land held solely or jointly by Ron Medich Properties Pty Ltd and Roy Medich Properties Pty Ltd in or around Badgerys Creek", with a particular focus on roles of the Minister for Planning, other ministers, NSW Planning, other government agencies, members of parliament, political parties and lobbyists, and to make recommendations about planning integrity.

Fourteen submissions were received, including submissions from Richardson, NSW Planning (via Sam Haddad), the Property Council of Australia, and Penrith City Council.

Public hearings were held on:

An interim report was tabled to Parliament on 20 November 2009, and made eleven recommendations with a focus on stronger regulation of contact between planning officials, development proponents and lobbyists.

The committee also recommended tighter regulation of political donations.

The supplementary report was tabled on 25 February 2010 and only became necessary as a result of Richardson's unwillingness to respond in writing to questions submitted after his evidence at the committee's first hearing.

Meanwhile, based on information in the recording plus media reports and information provided by an inmate in a correction centre, ICAC identified 13 matters for investigation.

A public enquiry was held over five days, and commenced on 1 February 2010.

Medich, Haddad, and Richardson all gave evidence at the ICAC Inquiry.

In November 2011 the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) commenced an inquiry that heard allegations that Ian MacDonald, while a Minister in the Government of New South Wales, accepted sexual favours in return for introducing businessmen to executives of state-owned energy companies.

It was also alleged that Ron Medich acted as a broker for Macdonald and was seeking to do business with government agencies where Macdonald had influence as a Minister.

Appearing before the commission to give evidence in relation to the allegations, Macdonald claimed that he was under the influence of alcohol and suffering the effects of depression at the time of the alleged incident.

Medich and McGurk had a series of significant and ongoing business interests.

In various media reports, it was claimed that Medich and McGurk were in dispute, including matters that were brought before the Federal Court by Medich against McGurk and his wife, and various companies associated with McGurk.