Arsonist Murat Shomshe lied to psychologist ahead of sentencing

An incarcerated Finks bikie involved in firebombings of tobacco stores lied about witnessing his twin brother being shot dead and urged his partner to lie during calls to her from prison.

A Finks bikie awaiting sentence for the firebombings of tobacco stores lied to court about his family situation, including that he saw his twin brother shot and killed while he was living in Kosovo

Murat Shomshe’s lies were exposed during a police investigation into calls he made from custody to his then partner Nese Adal in which he urged her to support his claims about his family situation.

The 43-year-old from Werribee pleaded guilty in the County Court on Friday to a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, having earlier admitted to two charges of arson carried out in Moe and Croydon in late 2023.

The court heard that Shomshe told consultant psychologist Dr Luke Armstrong in October 2024 that his father took him and his family to Kosovo for a long holiday and spent about five years there.

Finks bikie Murat Shomshe called his partner from prison and urged her to verify the lies he told to a psychologist ahead of his sentencing.

He claimed that when he was 12, he stopped attending school after it was bombed and that he witnessed his twin brother being shot dead by paramilitary police.

Shomshe said he developed PTSD following the family tragedy and used drugs as a coping mechanism which ultimately led to his latest offending.

He called Ms Adal from prison and asked her to impersonate his sister and support what he told Dr Armstrong who may contact her to verify the information. Ms Adal allegedly did as she was told and will front court in August for her alleged offending.

In one of the calls to Ms Adal, Shomshe instructed her to tell his mother what was happening and she replied “How do I tell your mum that I pretend to be ‘like your sister?”. He replied “You dump c--t, shut the f--k up. You smarter than that you d--khead. You work it out”.

Murat Shomshe has admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice while awaiting sentence on arson charges.

Investigations revealed Shomshe has ever been issued with one passport and that between 1990 and 2000, he flew out of Australia once– in July 1995– and returned just over two weeks later.

Investigations also revealed that he neither had a twin brother or an older male sibling.

Shomshe will be sentenced at a later date.