DENPASAR, Indonesia — Three Australian nationals received substantial prison sentences Monday at Denpasar District Court for their roles in the fatal shooting of a fellow Australian during a June incident on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali.
The convicted individuals—Mevlut Coskun (22), Paea I Middlemore Tupou (27), and Darcy Jenson (24)—were found guilty in the death of Zivan Radmanovic, a 32-year-old Melbourne resident. A second victim, 34-year-old Sanar Ghanim, survived the attack despite sustaining gunshot wounds and physical assault.
Judicial authorities handed down 16-year sentences to Coskun and Tupou, while Jenson received a 12-year term. Throughout proceedings, Coskun and Tupou maintained the shooting was unintentional, occurring during nocturnal chaos rather than premeditated violence.
The tragedy unfolded while Radmanovic was celebrating his wife’s birthday alongside her sister and Ghanim, who was the sister’s partner. Forensic examination revealed Radmanovic succumbed to multiple gunshot injuries compounded by blunt force trauma.
Prosecutors established that Jenson orchestrated the assault while Coskun and Tupou executed the physical attack. International cooperation proved crucial in apprehending the perpetrators: Jenson was intercepted at Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta Airport attempting to flee the country, while his accomplices were captured in Singapore and Cambodia through Interpol-assisted operations.
During October’s trial proceedings, defendants revealed they had accepted payment from an unidentified Australian man to travel to Bali and intimidate Ghanim into repaying outstanding debts. They consistently refused to identify their benefactor, citing legitimate fears for family safety. Investigators corroborated the existence of instructions from a mysterious “Mr. X” whose identity remains undetermined.
Although prosecutors sought 18-year sentences for Coskun and Tupou plus 17 years for Jenson, the judicial panel slightly reduced these terms. Presiding Judge Wayan Suarta acknowledged the defendants’ lack of criminal history and cooperative behavior during investigation and trial, while simultaneously recognizing the profound trauma inflicted upon victims’ families.
“They are still young and have the chance to improve themselves in the future,” Judge Suarta emphasized, clarifying that “punishment is not intended as revenge, nor to degrade their dignity, but as a preventive measure so similar acts do not occur again.”