Graham Butt: Drug haul navy officer helped pal Michael Fraser
In the navy Graham Butt’s loyalty was revered and the Iraq and Afghanistan veteran was decorated for his service. But he’s now preparing for a substantial jail term after claiming he didn’t want to let a friend down in helping him import $35m of ice.
Southern Courier
Don't miss out on the headlines from Southern Courier. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- ‘Ex-bikie’ says brutal jailyard bashings were ‘necessary’
- Brazilian beauty’s DNA found on revolver after police raid
- Man who allegedly ‘struck the match’ in Liverpool arson named
A former navy sergeant who served in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars said he did not want to let a former seaman down when he agreed to help him import 79kg of pure methamphetamine into the country.
In evidence, when asked why he aided and abetted the $35 million ice haul for Michael Fraser, Graham James Butt told the court: “I always had trouble saying no to somebody and Fraser’s always ... been my friend.”
“(I) didn’t want Fraser to get in trouble.”
A court heard how Queensland man Butt joined the navy at 17 after an unstable childhood, and found a “new family” there.
He met Fraser at about 21 years of age and they served foreign deployments together.
He knew another co-accused, Jarrad Bridge, casually through navy circles.
Both Butt, 36, and Fraser, 37, were highly regarded by their navy colleagues, the court heard, with an officer writing to the court to say he “respected his (Butt’s) courage and appreciated his dedication and loyalty”.
In the letter, he said during the War on Terror, Butt and Fraser would board smuggler vessels in the Arabian Gulf and that Butt “risked his life in pursuit of the mission”.
Butt also told a psychologist during his time in counter-terrorism he witnessed a mother and child die, then made a failed attempted to revive the child.
As a result and in the years that followed, he suffered PTSD symptoms.
But Fraser and Butt’s relationship was not totally rosy, with the court hearing he owed Fraser, who he claims had dealt him drugs, $9000 in debts.
The father-of-two appeared shocked and out of breath as Judge Peter Zahra sentenced him to five years and six months in prison for his role in the drug importation.
Judge Zahra said he chose loyalty over the law.
Despite essentially working under the directions of his co-accused, Judge Zahra said he continued to blindly help Fraser even after he knew the package being delivered was drugs, and used his boss’s garage to store the drugs without his knowledge, as well as utilising a work vehicle and work contacts.
He even continued to help with the ice importation after he understood the scale, the court heard, initially believing it to be 30 ounces of cocaine.
The court heard on July 15, 2019, a consignment of 79.12kg of pure methamphetamine arrived in Sydney.
Days earlier, Fraser had contacted Butt to ask whether he had a warehouse or yard he could use for storage because he had “something coming in”.
After initially saying no, Butt introduced Fraser to a colleague at the crane business he worked at, who agreed to let them use his garage for $1000.
From the freight company, the consignment was delivered to the Sylvania address.
The next day, Fraser, with the help of Butt, set about moving the drugs from Sylvania to Butt’s boss’ garage in Malabar, which he agreed to let them use, believing, the court heard, it would be there for a couple of days.
When giving evidence about why he allowed the use of his boss’ garage, he said: “(it was) two blokes saying to me, come on, come on, come on.”
Butt purchased containers to store the drugs, provided a ute to move the meth and a truck to dispose of the industrial mixer, in which the drugs were imported, and at one point drove the ute with drugs into the Malabar garage.
Police had been surveying the men throughout the day and swooped in that evening to find bundles of ice in containers at the back of the ute, when they were arrested.
Judge Zahra accepted that he was sorry, quoting his evidence where he said “I don’t feel whole … I’m not proud anymore”.
In June, Fraser was sentenced to six years in prison, while Bridge has pleaded not guilty to importing a large commercial quantity of a prohibited drug and is still before the courts.
Butt pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession of a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug for his two co-accused.
He will be eligible for release in October 2022, after he spends three years, three months in prison, non-parole.