Shayne Hatfield in jail, profoundly mentally ill

A BONDI surfer who admitted heading one of Sydney's biggest cocaine importation rackets worth $30m has been sentenced to at least 14 years behind bars.

Surfer Shayne Hatfield poses with a huge pile of cash in 2005 ... he was part of a cocaine trafficking syndicate.

A BONDI surfer who admitted heading one of Sydney's biggest cocaine importation rackets was yesterday sentenced to at least 14 years behind bars.

Shayne Hatfield is now "profoundly mentally ill" with paranoid schizophrenia but has admitted that in the early part of this decade he headed a $30million drug cartel, helping arrange the importation of more than 200kg of cocaine from South America.

Hatfield, who appeared sedated while attending court, was yesterday sentenced to a maximum of 26 years by District Court Judge Helen Morgan.

A police operation codenamed Mocha swooped on the syndicate in May 2005, alleging the syndicate _ headed by Hatfield, former first grade footballer Les Mara and late Sydney criminal Michael Hurley _ had already arranged "walkers" to bring the drug into Australia in black briefcases.

The marked cases were removed by baggage handlers, paid off by Hurley and Mara.

Mara was jailed for a minimum of 13 years, while Hurley died from cancer in January 2007 before he could stand trial.

The Crown accepted that Hatfield "was suffering from a mental illness" at the time of the importations and an aborted 30kg attempt shortly before his arrest.

Hatfield attempted suicide not long after he was locked up _ as Hurley and Mara went on the run _ and for two years was unfit to stand trial.

The former pro-surfer pleaded guilty  earlier this year but the court heard how he believed he was "directed by George Bush" and received messages through his television.

Judge Morgan gave Hatfield a 30 per cent discount on his sentence for his plea and his assistance to police.

An earlier sentencing hearing was told Hatfield stayed with the drug ring out of fear slain Bandido bikie Rodney Monk, called Hooksie, would "do him or his girlfriend" Virginia Broun if he tried to quit.

The court heard Ms Broun and her father Malcolm Broun QC were still supportive of him.

She became tearful as the lengthy sentence was handed down yesterday.

Hatfield's barrister Peter Givorshner said Hatfield can be in one moment "apparently coherent" and then "floridly irrational".

However, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of cocaine, supplying the drug and  associated offences.

With the sentence backdated to his arrest, he will be eligible for parole on May 8, 2019.

Police got the informant they needed when another kingpin of the operation, codenamed "Tom", walked into the NSW Crime Commission to detail the cartel's activities in late 2004.

Tom was then deployed to secretly record conversations and trap the key players as they continued their activities.

The plan, as detailed in an statement of facts tendered to the District Court, involved baggage handlers removing a cocaine-packed suitcase at Sydney Airport before it passed through customs.