Lawyer X Nicola Gobbo awarded at Premier’s prize weeks before bombshell
As the Brighton kindergarten mums sipped wine and nibbled on BYO snacks, few were aware of Nicola Gobbo’s extraordinary history. But as Lawyer X reaped awards from her community work, a bombshell was brewing.
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“Nicki” could not hide her jubilation.
Standing tall and tanned beside the then early childhood minister, Jenny Mikakos, in Government House — two decades earlier the residence of her uncle, Sir James Gobbo — she beamed with pride.
It was September last year, just months before her unmasking as the criminal lawyer who informed on her clients. “Nicki” Gobbo was being recognised in the Premier’s Volunteer Champion’s Awards for her “skilled and selfless leadership” in saving and reviving the Brighton Playroom Inc.
MORE: LAWYER X PART ONE
NICOLA GOBBO: THE GIRL WHO WANTED TO BE SOMEBODY
Ms Mikakos, now the Health Minister, handed over her award.
A citation — which in early February was removed from the state government website — stated: “The volunteer-run Brighton Playroom is thriving thanks to Nicki’s skilled and selfless leadership.
“Since saving the not-for-profit centre from closure three years ago, Nicki has introduced transformational changes — from strengthening child safety policies to finding ways to help disadvantaged families. Practical and passionate, Nicki has created a true community hub for successive generations of children and families.”
Governor Linda Dessau congratulated each of the 2018 awards nominees, who she said had helped make “Victoria a more cohesive, harmonious and supportive place to live”.
“We know that our state’s volunteers act without expectation of praise or recognition, but we need to recognise them,” she said.
“They deserve it. But it also helps to make us all feel stronger when we shine a light on their generosity of spirit.”
Others to be acknowledged in the leadership category included scientist Bartlomiej Kolodziejczyk, in part for delivering Melbourne Knowledge Week, and Deidre Bidmade, who initiated the development of the Hospice in the Home program.
None of those award recipients would have had a clue about Gobbo’s secret life as a police informer.
Gobbo was practising a delicate art she perfected long ago: hiding in plain sight. Just days before the High Court lifted sweeping gag orders over the scandal in December, describing her informing on her clients as “appalling breaches of her obligations” as a barrister, Gobbo was receiving thanks at another event.
The committee president at Brighton’s Wilson Street Kindergarten, where her daughter attended, she hosted the end-of-year celebration in Allnutt Park, McKinnon, on November 27.
The mums sipped wine and nibbled on BYO snacks while the dads tended to the kids, who rode bikes and climbed on the play equipment.
Few there would have been aware of her extraordinary history either.
She was known mainly for being helpful and kind; parents seeking a swap of kindergarten days for their children found that Gobbo was good at doing favours.
She has been less amenable to Victoria Police. Her persistence in embracing public roles as the scandal unravelled caused increasing angst among the officers who were charged with her day-to-day protection and the senior commanders handling her demands.
“She’s a bloody nightmare,” is the characterisation of Gobbo by one of the state’s most senior police.
“Erratic? You can ratchet that up a bit. She’s a piece of work. Volatile and difficult. She’s still seeing people she shouldn’t be seeing.
“Not (Tony) Mokbel, but she’s seeing people who can feed things back to him. She’s probably still playing both sides.”
As the police force’s legal team were days ago telling courts of fears for her life, there were reports of a sighting of her in the court precinct in Queen St.
It was one sighting of many: Melbourne’s Elvis is blonde, loud, and has until now defied the conventions of police protection. On another recent occasion, she was seen in a bayside Flight Centre, booking a trip to Asia.
“You’ll know all about it next week,” she said to explain the urgency.
In the days after the Herald Sun broke the Lawyer X scandal in March 2014, Gobbo was hidden away in a coastal safehouse while police battled in the Supreme Court to shut the story down.
At the same time, she was on the phone to the Herald Sun, saying: “There must be some very serious concerns high up. I’m not saying I know this for a fact, but I’m assuming there must be some people that are very worried.’’
Over the next 12 months, authorities raised concerns about the safety of her two children because of her refusal to agree to police protection.
The High Court even indicated authorities might remove the children from her care unless she complied with police protection demands.
“She won’t be going to any more Premier’s awards ceremonies,” a senior police officer told the Herald Sun late last year.
“We’re sitting on her pretty tight.”
MORE LAWYER X: PART 1: THE SCORPION’S STING
PART 3: THE MAN IN THE GOLDEN COFFIN
Originally published as Lawyer X Nicola Gobbo awarded at Premier’s prize weeks before bombshell
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