Hitman pleads guilty to McGurk murder A man has pleaded guilty to murdering Sydney businessman Michael McGurk. NEARLY four years after Michael McGurk was shot at close range outside his Sydney home, one of the accused hitmen has pleaded guilty to his murder. But Haissam Safetli maintains he wasn't the one who pulled the trigger. Magistrate Jan Stevenson insisted Safetli be brought up from the cells to face Central Local Court on Tuesday after his solicitor Dennis Miralis entered guilty pleas on his behalf. Safetli, who eventually appeared in prison greens, remained silent as the pleas were confirmed. The 47-year-old has pleaded guilty to murdering Mr McGurk who was killed by a single shot to the head outside his Cremorne home on Sydney's lower north shore in September 2009. A third charge against him - solicit to murder - was dropped by the Crown. The crown alleges property tycoon Ron Medich enlisted the help of one-time featherweight boxing champion Lucky Gattellari to carry out the contract killing of Mr McGurk after their business relationship began deteriorating in late 2008. Gattellari, who was sentenced in May for his part in the crime, then allegedly recruited Senad Kaminic, Safetli and Christopher Estephan to help. The Crown alleges that on September 3, 2009, Safetli and his co-accused Estephan, then 19, went to Mr McGurk's home. "The offender maintains that Estephan, upon seeing the deceased drive home, grabbed the modified rifle, got out of the utility and walked quickly over to the deceased's side of the Mercedes," facts tendered to court on Tuesday state. He then shot the deceased behind his right ear, fatally wounding him. The Crown says it "cannot disprove" beyond reasonable doubt Safetli's assertions that Estephan was the shooter. In the days after the hit, Safetli received $300,000 in payment for the killing, as well as a Honda Jazz. Then in July 2010, Safetli was allegedly enlisted to intimidate Mr McGurk's widow Kimberly McGurk. Safetli approached a person, referred to as "the associate," and offered him $30,000 to help him deliver an intimidating message to Mrs McGurk calling on her to "pay back your husband's debt." However, unbeknownst to Safetli, the associate was a police source. From September to October 2010, the facts state Safetli participated in a number of 'covert police operations'. Wearing listening devices, Safetli recorded conversations between Gattellari, Kaminic and himself. "He has greatly assisted in the prosecution of Estephan and to a lesser extent the prosecution of Medich," the facts state. Mr Miralis said his client would be giving evidence against his co-accused Medich and Estephan in their committal hearing next month, which will determine whether they should stand trial. In May, Kaminic - who pleaded guilty to being an accessary after the fact - was sentenced to a minimum of two and a half years in prison for his part in the killing, while Gattellari was given seven and a half years for being an accessary before the fact.