John Ibrahim’s son Daniel Taylor says his drug trafficker uncle was a father figure to him

The son of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim has told a court about his closeness to his uncle, a convicted drug trafficker who is serving a 30-year prison sentence.

The son of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim – who launched legal action over an article calling him a “wiseguy” – has admitted his convicted drug trafficker uncle was a father figure to him, a trial has been told.

Cafe worker Daniel Taylor, who legally changed his name from Daniel Ibrahim, is suing Nationwide News, publisher of The Sunday Telegraph, for defamation over a 24-page feature called “Inside the House of Ibrahim: Unauthorised”.

Mr Taylor’s legal team have claimed the 2019 article wrongly suggested he was a mobster, a member of the mafia and a criminal involved in organised crime.

Daniel Taylor outside Sydney’s Federal Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dylan Coker

Nationwide News has denied any of those assertions were made and, as a backup defence, the publisher has argued it would be “substantially true” to state Mr Taylor, of Gladesville, was involved in organised crime.

Mr Taylor’s barrister, Kieran Smark, SC, has focused in the Federal Court trial this week on what he claimed was his client repeatedly being portrayed as a member of a family that sits “in opposition to the law”.

Mr Smark also took issue with the article calling Mr Taylor a “wiseguy”, a word he argued portrayed his client as someone involved in organised crime.

But when under cross-examination by Nationwide News’s barrister, Dauid Sibtain, Mr Taylor admitted having previously close links to his convicted drug trafficker uncle Michael, who was jailed last year for 30 years over his role in a 2017 plot to import almost two tonnes of drugs into Australia.

“He was ostensibly a father figure for you?” Mr Sibtain asked.

Mr Taylor replied: “Correct”.

The court was told Mr Taylor had a strained relationship with his father John at times and that his uncle Michael had lent him $17,000 to start up a hospitality business in Sydney‘s eastern suburbs.

Mr Taylor was initially charged in connection to the 2017 drug importation plot, but was later cleared of having any involvement in the courts

He stopped talking to his uncle after his arrest in August of that year.

“I wasn’t legally allowed to speak to him, but I wouldn’t even if I had the choice,” he said.

Mr Sibtain questioned Mr Taylor for a second day on Tuesday and asked him if he ever had a conversation with Michael about potentially dealing in illegal tobacco before their arrests.

“Can I suggest he had a conversation with you, in about mid-October (2016), where he told you about a plan to acquire illegal cigarettes and to supply them to buyers?” Mr Sibtain asked.

Mr Taylor replied: “No he didn’t”.

Mr Sibtain continued: “And in this conversation he asked you whether you could assist with finding buyers for illegal cigarettes?“

Mr Taylor again replied: “No he didn’t”.

Mr Taylor’s father John is not accused of any wrongdoing.

The trial before Justice Anna Katzmann continues.