Ex-Brother 4 Life leader Bassam Hamzy found guilty of commercial drug supply from inside jail

Jurors deliberated for a week before returning their verdict in the trial of one-time Brothers 4 Life leader Bassam Hamzy, who was charged with dealing drugs from inside Australia’s most secure prison.

Ex-Brothers 4 Life Leader Bassam Hamzy has been found guilty of dealing drugs from inside Goulburn’s Supermax prison.

Brothers 4 Life commander Bassam Hamzy has been found guilty of running a drug operation from his cell inside Australia’s highest security prison.

Jurors presiding over the three-week trial retired to consider their verdicts a week ago.

They returned guilty verdicts to one count each of commercial drug supply and knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime just before lunchtime on Friday.

Hamzy, who has been in jail since 1999 serving, among others, a sentence for shooting a teenager dead on a Sydney nightclub strip, was charged in 2019 with running a meth syndicate from his cell within the high-risk inmate unit inside Goulburn’s Supermax jail.

Bassam Hamzy pictured in 2011.

The 45-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges and the case went to trial last year, however jurors were unable to reach a verdict.

During the re-trial, which began in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court earlier this month, the Crown alleged that Hamzy had “co-ordinated” the street supply of 450 grams of methylamphetamine by men he considered loyal Brothers 4 Life lieutenants, with the deals taking place in Wollongong between October 2017 and February 2018.

However, the court heard two of the men later turned on Hamzy to become Crown witnesses against him in the trial.

Both men’s identities are suppressed and they can only be referred to as ‘Witness A’ and ‘Witness I’.

The court heard Hamzy alleged used coded messages to co-ordinate the deals and communicate with his drug runners, who were members of Brothers 4 Life.

Hamzy was being housed inside the high risk management unit (pictured) at Goulburn’s Supermax jail when he was charged.

It was alleged at trial that Hammy received $14,000 in total paid across five instalments as a result of the drug supplies; two payments were received via bank transfer and the remaining three via cash payments, prosecutors said.

Hamzy’s legal team had argued that the key witnesses for the Crown could not be relied upon, claiming one had falsely implicated Hamzy in the deals so as to get himself out of “deep trouble”.

The court heard the Attorney General agreed to give both men indemnity from prosecution in exchange for their testimony. They also received reduced sentences on unrelated charges.

Hamzy, who is currently behind bars until at least 2035 serving unrelated sentences, will face court again in August for sentencing.