NSW: Man who set about killing witneses jailed

AAP General News (Australia)
08-25-2000
NSW: Man who set about killing witneses jailed

A marine engineer who sought to eliminate witnesses against him in a boat fraud case
has been jailed in Sydney for at least 25 years for murdering a man and maiming a woman.

In setting a maximum of 34 years' imprisonment for 36-year-old PAUL MICHAEL OFFER,
a judge of the Supreme Court in Sydney said OFFER's crimes fell within the worst class
of case.

OFFER pleaded guilty to the shooting murder three years ago of Sydney marine electrician
RONALD MILLS and to causing grievous bodily harm to mother-of-three NAGWA GERGES with
intent to murder her.

The defendant, wearing a balaclava, had intended to kill the woman's husband, MAHER
GERGES, who was a witness in the fraud case -- but instead shot his wife in the head with
a crossbow and arrow when she answered a knock at the family's door.

Ms GERGES, who was in a coma for 34 days, suffered severe head and brain injuries.

OFFER also admitted soliciting a former workmate, who'd thought he was joking, to kill
the three witnesses -- Mr GERGES, Mr MILLS and MARK GEORGE CHAPMAN.

The judge said it seemed OFFER's appalling crimes were the result of a frantic or
panic-stricken reaction to the prospect of being tried and punished for the alleged fraud.

He said the guilty man seemed to have resorted to "drastic and fantastic" expedients
because of intellectual and personality deficits he suffered, which had been outlined
by a psychologist.

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he judge said it seemed the appalling crimes were a "process of frantic, if not
panic-stricken, reaction" by Offer at the prospect of being tried and punished for the
alleged fraud, possibly influenced by some paranoia.

"He seems to have resorted to drastic and fantastic expedients because of the intellectual
and personality deficits described by the psychologist," he said.

They included possible brain damage following his involvement in a number of accidents,
several of which resulted in head injuries, loss of consciousness and periods of post-traumatic
amnesia, and severe depression.

KEYWORD: OFFER (SYDNEY)

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