A bikie, Aaron Ong, serving a 35-year sentence for the 2019 murder of innocent Melbourne father Paul Virgona, has filed an appeal claiming the jury’s decision was flawed. Ong, found guilty by a jury after a trial in 2022, was sentenced alongside fellow bikie Josh Rider, who earlier admitted guilt for the crime. Virgona was shot in a tragic case of mistaken identity while driving to work.
Ong contends that he was not present during the murder, insisting he spent that night in Rider’s Port Melbourne apartment while Rider was involved in the crime. His defence argues that the prosecution overlooked potential involvement of another party, asserting that Rider’s DNA was located on the getaway vehicle, not Ong’s.
During the appeal, his lawyer highlighted a Nike jumper linked to Ong, suggesting it was put in a bag and handed to someone else at the Mongols’ clubhouse. The prosecution retorted that it was implausible Ong would remove his clothing and hand it to a third party in the midst of a criminal act.
The Court of Appeal justices are now deliberating whether to accept Ong’s appeal and subsequently reassess the jury’s verdict.