Former detectives Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara have indicated they will appeal against their life sentences for the cold-blooded execution of a Sydney student and drug dealer, following their conviction yesterday.  Gao, a 20-year-old university student, was shot dead on May 20, 2014 after the men lured him into a Padstow storage shed with promises of payment for drugs.  The men killed Gao in a premeditated act in order to steal 2.78kg of the drug ice, a quantity with a potential sale value of more than A$9 million.  In the NSW Supreme Court yesterday, Justice Geoffrey Bellew said the murder was of "an exceptionally high degree of seriousness in offending – brutal in its execution and callous in its aftermath".  CCTV footage showing the pair removing a surfboard bag from the Padstow shed was played during the trial.  After shooting Gao dead, the pair wrapped his body in blue tarpaulin and zipped it inside a silver surfboard bag. The bag was then dumped into the sea near Cronulla, and was found floating in the water by fishermen six days later.  The pair used McNamara’s boat to attempt to dispose of Gao’s body.  As Justice Bellew began his sentencing in the Darlinghurst courthouse today, 75-year-old Rogerson, in prison greens, sat in the court with his eyes closed.  McNamara, 57, sat with his head bowed and arms folded, dressed in a navy suit.  The judge read through evidence which confirmed the crime had been planned, and said the fact the pair would profit from the sale of the stolen drug made it offending of the worst kind.  McNamara met Gao 19 times before the murder, which he claimed was research for a book on the Asian drug trade, however Justice Bellew dismissed this as "nothing more than an elaborate lie" told to cover up his "nefarious" relationship with Gao.  Justice Geoffrey Bellew found Gao had been murdered so McNamara and Rogerson could profit from the sale of almost 3kg of ice.  Jamie Gao was 20 when he was shot dead.  The judge similarly pointed to the fact McNamara had taken his boat out of storage and prepared a surfboard bag as evidence the murder was premeditated.  Justice Bellew conceded he could not determine beyond reasonable doubt who shot Gao twice in the chest, but said he was satisfied the pair had decided to kill Gao well before his death.  "The deceased was executed in cold blood, just as the accused had planned. While I am satisfied the deceased was shot by one of the offenders, I am unable to determine which one fired the shot."  During the four-month long trial in the NSW Supreme Court, both men denied the crime and pointed the finger at each other.  Rogerson told the court he had walked inside the storage unit and found Gao dead on the floor. McNamara said Rogerson had shot Gao.  In sentencing remarks today, which lasted more than two and a half hours, Justice Bellew said Gao had referred to regular meetings with a person named "Glen" prior to his death. Justice Bellew said these comments were "obvious references" to McNamara.  The court was told Gao referred to a "massive deal" with Glen which would "make him rich".  The judge added Gao might have been aware involvement in drug dealing was dangerous, but that did not mean he deserved to die.  "The worth of someone's life is not graded by his or her background," Justice Bellew said.  Both pleaded not guilty to murder but were convicted in June after a Supreme Court trial.  They were also found guilty of possessing a commercial drug supply.  In a statement released this afternoon, the Gao family welcomed the life sentences.  "To have these men who took Jamie from us sentenced to essentially die in jail is absolutely fitting," the statement read in part.  Both Rogerson and McNamara have since flagged appeals.  McNamara's solicitor Ali Abbas said he would file a notice of intention to appeal on Monday, telling reporters: "Mr McNamara continues to maintain his innocence".  © Nine Digital Pty Ltd 2016
Former New South Wales policemen Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara will today be sentenced for murdering 20-year-old drug dealer Jamie Gao.