Gold Coast man jailed over execution-style, love triangle murder

Gold Coast man Adam James Gooley has been sentenced to a minimum of 20 years behind bars over the execution-style shooting murder of his love rival, Shyam ‘Sam’ Dhody.

Gooley, 34, pleaded guilty to murdering the Gold Coast businessman and father-of-four, who he shot ten times in the head on July 5, 2013.

Justice David Boddice today sentenced Gooley to life imprisonment with no parole for 20 years, the minimum mandatory punishment for murder.

It was clear Gooley had acted out of “a misguided sense of loyalty” to his lover and Mr Dhody’s then-fiancée, Melissa Shaw, the judge said.

However, there was no justification for the "brutal and cowardly slaying," he added.

Gooley shot Mr Dhody, 37, with a .22 calibre rifle while he lay in bed in his Gilston home, his Brisbane Supreme Court sentence hearing was told.

It would have taken Gooley two minutes to fire that many shots with the manual weapon, the court was told.

Gooley committed the murder because of his five-year on-again, off-again secret relationship with Mr Dhody's fiancée, Melissa Shaw.

Crown prosecutor Dennis Kinsella said Gooley, a mechanic, believed Mr Dhody was hitting Ms Shaw, and had vowed to kill him.

Gooley also admitted to the attempted murder of Mr Dhody in March 2013, when he attempted to kill him with a crowbar but the attack was interrupted by a neighbour.

Gooley maintains that he acted alone however the court was told Ms Shaw called him after learning her fiancé would be home early from a business trip.

She has also been charged over the murder and will defend the allegations at a trial next year.

Ms Shaw was allegedly in the house during the murder, and Gooley later bragged to a friend that he and Ms Shaw would be starting a new life together.