A Melbourne father who gunned down his own daughter and her husband, partly because he was not invited to their wedding, has been jailed for life over the "cold-hearted" and "cowardly" killings.
WARNING: This story contains details that may disturb some readers.
Osman Shaptafaj, 57, today appeared in the Supreme Court of Victoria where he was ordered to serve two life sentences concurrently after pleading guilty to murdering Lindita Musai, 25, and Veton Musai, 29, at Yarraville about two years ago.
Shaptafaj will have to serve at least 35 years, meaning he will be in his nineties before he becomes eligible for parole.
Confronting details were aired in the Supreme Court about how Shaptafaj lay in wait for the couple for almost two hours before shooting them both in the head at point-blank range.
Leaving his daughter and son-in-law lying on the porch, Shaptafaj then rang the doorbell of the house so that they could be found by Mr Musai's distressed family members.
He then walked to nearby grasslands where he shot himself twice while being watched by onlookers.
Shaptafaj claims he has no memory of what happened and the Supreme Court heard that he believed he was stuck in a "glitch" of the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops, a first-person shooter game set during the Cold War.
'Resentment and anger' fuelled murder plot
Justice Andrew Tinney called Shaptafaj's crimes "cowardly".
"You've taken away two young lives. Your crimes were premeditated, carried out upon two members of your family who should legitimately have expected you to be their protector, not someone who would kill them so savagely," Justice Tinney said.
"Yet you allowed your unjustified feelings of resentment and anger towards then to drive you to commit unspeakable crimes.
"In view of your current age … the long non-parole period required to be passed would you have you ineligible for consideration of parole until you're quite elderly.
By the time Shaptafaj had made the decision to murder his daughter, Lindita, and her husband Veton, their relationship had been in tatters for some time.
Prosecutors previously told the court that the 57-year-old had been a violent husband and father, which ultimately sparked his divorce and left his children loathing him.
Shaptafaj disputes the allegations of family violence including an incident where his son, Arben, claimed that his father took a loaded gun and pushed it against his cheek.
In 2011, Shaptafaj's children and his ex-wife cut off all contact with him and moved on with their lives, with Lindita and Veton marrying in December 2018.
"Unsurprisingly … you were not invited to attend the wedding of Lindita and Veton, nor had Veton sought your permission to marry your daughter," Justice Tinney said.
"Things you have said indicate that both of these facts were sore points for you."
The couple moved in with Mr Musai's family while they built joint townhouses with his brother.
The Supreme Court has previously heard that Shaptafaj found out about his daughter's marriage "third hand" and later vented to a psychiatrist about it, after the murder.
"You were distressed that your daughter had been engaged and married without you, you had learned that she married through your landlord, who was close to your ex-wife," Justice Tinney said.
"You apparently wept, telling her that your daughter was too young to know her duties and that her husband should have known better, he should have asked for your daughter's hand and given you the respect you deserve."
Family tried to save couple but 'knew it was too late'
On New Year's Eve 2019, Shaptafaj drove to Yarraville, where his daughter and her husband were staying, and lay in wait for the couple for almost two hours.
They had been celebrating their first wedding anniversary in the city.
As they walked up to the front door of the house, Shaptafaj got out of his car, walked up behind them and shot both Lindita and Veton in the head at point-blank range.
"Having done so, you rang the doorbell to notify those inside of your presence .. you callously left your victims stricken on the porch and fled to a location at which you tried to take your own life in what can only be described as a cowardly fashion," Justice Tinney said.
The newlyweds were found by Mr Musai's sister-in-law, Diane Rexha, who described seeing Shaptafaj with a gun and a "blank expression".
She told the court that the tragedy was seared into her mind.
"I die silently, every day," she said.
"I had to close her eyes and say goodbye. I had to give her mouth to mouth when, deep down, I knew it was too late.
Lindita Musai died at the scene and Veton Musai was taken to hospital, but died a day later.
The court today heard that Shaptafaj, who was found with head wounds and the gun still in his hand, was in denial about the death of his daughter and her husband.
He now has a brain injury and has lost his right eye.
Justice Andrew Tinney deplored Shaptafaj's crimes as "unforgiveable family violence".
"Your crimes which were premeditated and carried out by shooting each of your unsuspecting victims in the head, represented a shocking breach of trust and parental responsibility," he said.
"By your appalling actions you have taken two young and promising lives and devastated two extended families. Your crimes were well and truly shocking.
"There is nothing to indicate that you are in any way remorseful for your actions."
Today's sentence left Drilon Musai with mixed emotions.
He paid tribute to his brother, Veton, and his sister-in-law, Lindita, and said he wanted them to be remembered for who they were and not what happened to them.
"No judgement will ever be enough, it's a life sentence for us. He's still here, they're not here, so there's not much we can do," he said.
"The only thing we're looking forward to is the fact that we can finally move on and not be dragged back to that day."
