McGurk, a Scottish-born Australian businessman, was murdered by a single gunshot to his head on 3 September 2009 outside his Cremorne, Sydney family home.
In October 2010 five men were arrested and several charges laid; and by April 2013 four of them had been convicted and jailed in connection with the murder of McGurk.
Served with a deportation notice, Rushford left Australia, travelling to New Zealand, via Fiji, and returned with a new passport and new identity as Michael Loch McGurk,[9] altering his birth date from 1958 to 1964.
[7] McGurk rose far above his impoverished roots, living in a $4 million home, driving a Mercedes S-Class, and taking luxury ski holidays.
[6] Described by some media agencies as an alcoholic and a heavy cocaine user,[10] McGurk was variously reported as the director of 28 failed or deregistered companies; a standover man, fixer and debt collector; a lender of last resort; negotiator; and a property developer.
[11] Media reports claim that McGurk was involved in supplying prostitutes to high-profile people, including leading sports figures and, in the last weeks of his life, was negotiating a property deal with associates of nightclub identity John Ibrahim.
In investigating the details provided at time of approving the loan, Bankwest found that the information supplied by McGurk was allegedly fraudulent.
[16][20] Prior to his death, McGurk was negotiating a property deal for Bob Ell, a BRW Rich 200 billionaire.
Ell's company, Leda Holdings, had interest in Kings Cross landmark property, the Crest Hotel.
[12] According to media reports, McGurk was negotiating on behalf of Ell and for business associates of John Ibrahim to run the downstairs bar area of the Crest in return for an investment of $10–$15 million.
[12] McGurk was working with Ell to collect rent from tenants and met disgraced former company director, Jim Byrnes.
Woods was the owner of a bathhouse which was beset by leaking water problems, located on the first floor of the Crest Hotel building.
[12] Theo Baker, a Sydney telecommunications and financial software millionaire and another BRW Rich 200 member, provided McGurk with a $300,000 loan to retain his black Mercedes S-class, following repossession of the vehicle by a finance company.
[26] Vereker, a disability pensioner, was reportedly NSW Labor's second largest individual donor, with a political donation of $75,000 in the 2007 state election campaign.
It was later revealed that McGurk was acting on behalf of Paddy Dominguez, Neil's manager and Bob Ell, a potential sponsor of the soccer club.
[33] Two weeks prior to his murder, the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions dropped the charges,[34] including the alleged firebombing of another property in Queen Street, Beaconsfield, owned by the valuer Stuart Rowan.
[36] McGurk's life was celebrated at a public funeral held in at Mosman's Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where more than 300 people were in attendance.
It was reported that Medich sought planning approval to rezone land that he owned at Badgerys Creek on the south-western fringes of Sydney.
On 5 September 2009 The Sydney Morning Herald published on its front-page, "Exclusive: Secret tape blamed for killing".
On 9 September 2009, a motion was carried in the Legislative Council to establish an inquiry into Badgerys Creek land dealings and planning decisions.
Public hearings were held on:[43] 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.
[44] The second 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.
[53] Much media attention was made of Medich's fall from grace,[54] as he spent a little under two months in solitary confinement whilst in custody, before being released on conditional bail.
[61] In August 2013, Haissam Safetli was sentenced to 6½ years' jail for the murder of McGurk, and another six months for intimidating his widow.