By Karen Sweeney, AAP
Paul Virgona’s family will likely never have an answer for why the grocer was murdered in cold blood on a Melbourne freeway nearly four years ago.
But they do have some closure, with his Mongols bikie killers ordered to serve decades behind bars for a crime only explained as a case of mistaken identity.
Aaron Ong was jailed for 35 years on Thursday by Victorian Supreme Court Justice Christopher Beale, while Josh Rider was sentenced to 30 years.
They had staked out Mr Virgona’s Croyden home for hours before following him as he left to pick up the day’s fruit and vegetable orders for his business at 2am on November 9, 2019.
On Eastlink, their stolen Mercedes pulled alongside Mr Virgona’s van and 11 shots were fired by the passenger from a semi-automatic handgun.
It’s not clear which of the men was the shooter and who was driving.
At least seven shots struck Mr Virgona, whose van then spun out of control.
He was found dead by police behind the wheel, his phone illuminated in his lap.
“We are relieved of the outcome and that it’s finally behind us now,” Antonietta Virgona said outside court.
“Paul was an amazing person – he was a loyal, hardworking man who, in all this, was innocent and didn’t deserve it.”
Mr Virgona’s family packed the court’s public gallery for the hearing, seated just along from a dozen supporters of Ong and Rider.
There was nothing to explain why he had been targeted and killed.
He had no criminal or Mongols bikie associations, unlike Ong and Rider.
Ong’s barrister conceded the shooting occurred in the context of motorcycle club activity but was “almost certainly a case of mistaken identity”.
Rider, now 33, joined the Mongols at 19 or 20 and told a psychologist he was considering leaving the club but hey had supported him and his partner while he was in prison, and there would be a price for leaving.
A friend who cautioned him against joining said he wasn’t surprised by the murder charge.
Ong, 37, was a Mongols associate since 2015 and became patched two years later.
He has not disavowed the club and rather than downplay his association, Ong and his barrister had talked up his love of motorcycles, Justice Beale said.
“Your association with the Mongols has been disastrous,” he said.
“You would do well to settle, once and for all, any association you have with the Mongols or its members.”
Mr Virgona’s children Luca and Giulia, were in court for the sentence. They were just 17 and 14 when their father died.
“He was a very devoted father, husband, everything,” Mrs Virgona said.
“He was just everything.”
Rider, who pleaded guilty to murder days before a joint trial with Ong was due to begin, was ordered to serve at least 21 years.
Ong, who was convicted at trial, must serve at least 25 years and six months before he is eligible for parole.
