FORMER Leigh Centurions RL star John Elias faces a 25-year jail sentence after being found guilty of shooting a business associate.
A Sydney jury handed down the verdict on the Australian last Friday after three and a half hours of deliberation, finding him guilty of malicious wounding with intent to cause grevious bodily harm to Raymond Younan.
Elias, who coached Lebanon in the last Rugby League World Cup, spent the 1992-3 season at Hilton Park after signing from Sydney club, Balmain.
The court heard that the incident occured in a McDonald's restaurant car park last June. Elias shot Younan through the thigh after an argument over a 35,000 Australian dollars gambling debt. Elias claimed he had shot in self defence, fearing for his life.
Elias was remanded in police custody and will be sentenced next month.
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