Australia: Hilel Merhi Good Riddence to Middle Eastern Rubbish

Violent thug Hilel Merhi lived and died by the gun

By Kara Lawrence
The Daily Telegraph
April 28, 2009 12:00am

HILEL Merhi was a loud-mouthed young man with a penchant for extreme violence.

Armed with a pistol, he had robbed liquor and video stores and petrol stations, and had his driver's licence disqualified because he was a danger on the roads.

As the Sydney criminal world was speculating yesterday about who ambushed Merhi, pumping five rounds into him at close range at a party at the weekend, the 25-year-old's family and friends were in mourning as his funeral was held.

A former prisoner who met Merhi in jail said yesterday: "He was a very confident character and was very outspoken - in other words he was a smart arse"

Merhi's shooting at a 21st birthday party in Merrylands on Saturday night was breathtaking in its audacity. Two hooded men walked through a gate of the Davies St property towards an outdoor carport where people were dancing, talking and laughing.

One of the men walked up to Merhi, who was an uninvited guest at the party, and fired repeatedly.

Then the men fled, pursued by some partygoers, down the street and around the corner into Price St, where they jumped into a late-model Commodore and fled.

Police confirmed yesterday they believed Merhi's criminal activities were linked to his shooting.

Merhi's criminal record dates back to 2002 when he was charged with driving recklessly at Casula, had his licence suspended and was given a good behaviour bond.

He graduated quickly to more violent crime.

In late 2003, he went on a gun spree. In October of that year he allegedly pulled a pistol on fellow students at Miller College of TAFE.

Students fled for safety to the nearby Liverpool Catholic Club, but when police arrested Merhi later that night he claimed the gun was a cigarette lighter.

Days later, while armed with a silver pistol, he forced a female employee of Video Ezy Moorebank to hand over $250.

His next two armed robberies in the next two months netted him $1300 from Prestons Village Liquor and $500 cash and 32 packets of cigarettes from BP Moorebank.

He was sent to jail for maximum two years and eight months and ordered to undergo drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

He was released from another stint in jail in the middle of last year after serving time for driving offences.