Paul Visentin: Gold Coast shop owner who shot and killed bandit who attempted to rob him in 2000

A Gold Coast shop owner shot and killed a man attempting to rob his antiques centre, sparking a national debate about the public’s right to defend themselves from attackers. FIND OUT WHY

Paul Visentin was a man proud of his antiques centre at Nerang.

Mr Visentin, the owner and operator of Old Town Nerang Antiques store became nationally known 25 years ago when it was robbed for the second time in seven years by armed bandits.

The 2000 robbery had a fatal ending, with Mr Visentin shooting and killing Peter Anthony Knox, 30, a career criminal who was one of the three would-be thieves who broke in and opened fire

Knox had been out of prison only two weeks at the time of the robbery.

Paul Visentin in 1993

The incident on Lavelle St sparked an intense debate over the right of people to defend themselves.

The first robbery of the family’s shop occurred in November 1993.

Two men burst into the shop and threatened Mr Visentin’s wife Maxine with a gun and knife before demanding money.

The man holding the gun yelled ``Don’t (expletive) move.’’

Mrs Visentin panicked and ducked for cover as the gunman screamed: ``Where are ya? On the (expletive) ground.’’

A bullet hole in the door.

Mr Visentin’s son, Hadyn, grabbed a shotgun kept under the counter and shot one of the men in the stomach while the second thief fled the scene.

Both would-be bandits faced court.

“One of the bandits, Paul Francis Verheyden, 28, who was sentenced to four years in prison, lost a large section of his stomach,” News Corp reported at the time.

“He was on parole for armed robbery at the time.

“The other bandit, Mark Thomas Noble, 29, who was jailed for three years and three months, had nine gunshot pellets removed from the back of his head.”

Fast-forward to 2000 and the store was attacked again.

Peter Anthony Knox being taken to hospital where he died.

Mr and Mrs Visentin were alone in the shop when three men in balaclavas entered the shop at 3.30pm and opened fire, with bullets hitting next to the couple’s heads, one grazing Mr Visentin’s face.

One of the bullets punctured a picture of Jesus Christ which hung on the wall in their shop.

Mr Visentin grabbed for his shotgun – the same his son had used seven years earlier and returned fire, shooting Knox who died in hospital.

Maxine Visentin holds a picture of Jesus with bullet hole

”The God-fearing couple say their strong religious beliefs helped them pull through the traumatic ordeal,” News Corp reported at the time.

Speaking after the robbery, a tearful and traumatised Mr Visentin said he would close his shop.

“It is fine to have a business but when your life is at stake you have to reconsider. I just hope and pray that no one else ever goes through what we went through,’’ he said.at the time.

“If I had not returned fire, there would be more funerals.’’

Paul Visentin (centre) at his shop after the shooting. Picture: David Clark

The two other men who broke in the shop – Brett Randall Griffith and John Stephen Cole were both found guilty after a trial in the Supreme Court in 2002.

Supreme Court Justice John Byrne sentenced Griffith to two terms of life imprisonment and Cole to 20 years.

“These were terrible crimes with dreadful consequences and they deserve (severe) punishment,” said Justice Byrne.

Maxine and Paul Visentin at home after their court case finished in Brisbane Picture: Donna Cosford

`Your anti-social tendencies and propensity for life-threatening crime are so great, and the prospects for rehabilitation appear so slight, that the most careful consideration should be given to any application you might ever make for your release,’’ Justice Byrne told Griffith during his sentencing

Mr Visentin later was found to have acted in self defence and faced no legal issues after the incident while his sons would follow in his footsteps opening a new shop in Broadbeach which was at the Niecon Plaza.