Four men found guilty of murdering Albanian immigrant Urim Gjabri at Parafield Gardens cannabis grow house

The men were found guilty for a second time of the brutal murder, after their convictions were previously overturned by the High Court.

Four men have again been found guilty of murdering an Albanian immigrant inside a drug house after a retrial.

On Wednesday, Aaron Donald Carver, Benjamin John Mitchell, Alfred Claude Rigney, Matt Bernard Tenhoopen stood in the Supreme Court dock as Justice Julie McIntyre handed down the verdict in a case that dates back to 2018, when refugee Urim Gjabri was brutally bashed in a northern suburbs cannabis grow house.

“For the reasons that I now deliver, I find that each of the defendants is guilty of murder,” she said.

The only known photo of murder victim Urim Gjabri, on his Albanian driver’s licence.

Aaron Donald Carver during a 2020 jury viewing for the first trial. Picture: Tom Huntley

Mr Gjabri died from a fatal head injury inflicted during a robbery of the Para Vista property in October of 2018.

Police earlier alleged there was evidence at the house a significant drug crop had been removed around the time of the assault.

Police further alleged Mr Gjabri suffered severe blunt force trauma to the head, which did not kill him straight away. His body was not discovered until three days after his death.

Images released by the court of a stolen drug crop being stripped following the murder of Albanian refugee Urim Gjabri. Picture: Supplied

The four men were convicted of Mr Gjabri’s murder in a Supreme Court jury trial but that conviction was later overturned when the High Court found the jury had not been instructed properly on the contentious legal principle of constructive murder.

They have now been found guilty again.

Mitchell was released on bail afterwards but Justice McIntyre revoked it on Wednesday following the verdict. All four men were taken into custody.

Benjamin John Mitchell during the 2020 jury viewing at Ingle Farm. Picture: Tom Huntley

Police earlier alleged Mr Gjabri suffered severe blunt force trauma to the head, which did not kill him straight away.

The court previously heard he left Albania to try to create a better life for his family.

The four men will be sentenced at a later date.

“I’ll order pre-sentence reports be prepared in relation to each of the defendants,” Justice McIntyre said.

The matter will return to court in late August.

Originally published as Four men found guilty of murdering Albanian immigrant Urim Gjabri at Parafield Gardens cannabis grow house