Two Australians Receive 32-Year Combined Sentence in Bali for Gangland Murder
Two Australian nationals, Mevlut Coskun and Paea I Middlemore Tupou, have been sentenced to a combined total of 32 years behind bars in Bali after confessing to the murder of a Melbourne gangland figure and the injury of another. The sentencing, which occurred on Monday at the Denpasar District Court, was delayed by one week due to an unexpected procedural hold-up.
Court Details and Sentencing
Presiding judge Wayan Suarta handed down individual sentences of 16 years imprisonment to each defendant, ruling that they were 'legally and convincingly' guilty of premeditated murder. The court heard that the crime was meticulously planned, with the motivation being financial gain. Judge Suarta noted that the defendants had attempted to flee to another country following the incident, which was a factor in the proceedings.
Prosecutors had presented evidence that the pair used a sledgehammer to break into a villa in the Munggu area under cover of darkness on June 14, 2025. During the attack, Sanar Ghanim was shot six times, while Zivan Radmanovic was beaten with the sledgehammer before being fatally shot. Both victims have confirmed links to Melbourne's criminal underworld.
Background of the Incident
The villa was where Radmanovic's wife, Jazmyn, was celebrating her 30th birthday, with the victims and their partners staying there at the time. Coskun and Tupou claimed in court that they were hired by an Australian man to collect a debt, which led to the violent assault. A third Australian, Darcy Francesco Jenson, is accused of organising the logistics for the trip, including accommodation, car hires, and scooter rentals in the months leading up to the attack.
All three men were arrested in the days after the shooting as they attempted to leave the country. Coskun, aged 22, and Tupou, aged 27, were tried together, while Jenson, also 27, is facing a separate trial with his fate to be determined at a later date.
Legal Proceedings and Mitigating Factors
During the sentencing, the court considered mitigating factors, noting that the defendants were 'cooperative, still young and still have hope for their future.' This contributed to the 16-year sentence being lighter than what the prosecution had sought. In Indonesia, such crimes can carry the death penalty, making this outcome a significant reduction from the worst-case scenario.
The case highlights the international reach of criminal activities and the severe legal consequences faced by foreigners involved in violent crimes in Indonesia. The sentencing underscores the Indonesian judiciary's stance on premeditated murder, particularly when linked to organized crime elements.
