Cocaine dealing property developer Matthew Doyle’s case to get out of jail early

High society cocaine dealer and property developer Matthew Doyle wants his jail sentence slashed. Here’s the case he made to the state’s highest court.

Society cocaine dealer and property developer Matthew Doyle wants his jail sentence slashed because he had shown genuine remorse and accepted responsibility for his actions, the state’s highest court was told on Wednesday.

Gone was the flashy hair style, the tan and designer sunnies he once sported on social media as Doyle appeared via AVL from Long Bay Jail dressed in prison greens after two and half years behind bars.

The private schoolboy, 33, was sentenced to eight years with five years’ non-parole after pleading guilty over a massive international cocaine plot which never was. Instead of becoming Sydney’s cocaine king, Doyle and his two mates were tricked by undercover cops who had even asked him if he was sure he wanted to go ahead with the $300 million deal.

Matthew James Doyle before his arrest with society wife Kelsea Doyle.

He had put up $500,000 in advance, telling the agents: “I’m not a gangster, I’m a businessman,” a court previously heard.

But once Doyle opened the 50 duct-taped parcels and discovered there was no cocaine, only inert powder, he desperately tried to call one of the undercover operatives, telling him: “Please answer me because I’m going to be shot over this.”

Doyle, whose property empire, cars and cash have been seized under proceeds of crime laws, had pleaded guilty to commercial drug supply and dealing with more than $500,000 in the proceeds of crime following his arrest in 2019. Judge Penny Hock in the District Court gave him a 25 per cent reduction on his sentence for his guilty plea.

The property developer and stalwart of Sydney’s social elite was caught trying to smuggle cocaine into the country.

His barrister Tim Game SC told the Court of Criminal Appeal that Doyle was owed more of a discount because he had shown genuine remorse and accepted responsibility while the 25 per cent was just an automatic discount.

Crown prosecutor Miiko Kumar said the sentencing judge had made it clear she taken into account those details and others.

Doyle and friends Jared Hart, 32, and Raoul Kesby, 30, had faced maximum sentences of life behind bars with a standard non-parole term of 15 years.

Hart and Kesby also received a 25 per cent discount on their sentences for pleading guilty to commercial drug supply. Kesby was jailed for four years six months with a minimum of two years and 10 months.

Hart was jailed for five years with a minimum of three years two months.

The fact that there really was no cocaine involved did little to reduce the seriousness of their offences, Judge Hock had said when sentencing them.

Doyle, who has a young child with his wife Kelsea Doyle, a socialite and publicist who once worked for fashion brand Camilla and Marc, has been in jail since his arrest in September 2019.

The Court of Criminal Appeal reserved its decision.