John Ibrahim’s son discussed ‘getting rid of’ police informant with prisoner: court

John Ibrahim’s son had a coded phone call with a prisoner to see whether or not they could “get rid of” a police informant, a trial has been told.

Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim’s son had a coded phone call with a prisoner to see whether or not they could “get rid of” an associate who had become a police informant, a trial has been told.

Daniel Taylor, 30, formerly Daniel Ibrahim, is suing Nationwide News, publisher of The Sunday Telegraph, for defamation over a 2019 article he claims wrongly depicted him as a mobster and a mafia member.

The publisher denies those defamatory meanings were conveyed in the story but, as a backup defence, it has argued it is substantially true that he is a criminal involved in organised crime.

Daniel Taylor outside Sydney’s Federal Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

The court has heard Mr Taylor was close friends with an eastern suburbs drug dealer called Nabih “Nabz” Hadid, who was taken into custody in 2017 on cocaine supply charges.

Mr Taylor’s uncle Michael Ibrahim and the associate were charged over an unrelated illegal tobacco plot in the same year.

Nationwide News’s barrister, Dauid Sibtain, told the Federal Court on Wednesday Mr Taylor had a phone call with Hadid about the associate, who had become a police informant and who was being held in the same jail as Hadid.

“There is a jocular exchange about suggesting that a rumour be spread that he’s a paedophile so he gets bashed,” Mr Sibtain said.

“They’re being lighthearted while they say it, but it’s in the context of a more serious discussion.

“The kernel of the thought emerged then of whether or not the informant could be got to.”

Mr Sibtain said in another conversation Hadid told Mr Taylor he had tried to look for the associate in the jail and said he would have “the chat” with another person in the same prison as the associate.

The barrister argued this was a coded discussion to determine if they could “get rid of” the associate.

“He tried to look for him, but he was in (a) non-association (wing), that’s where it started … then comes the critical part where Nabz says I’ll have ‘the chat’ with him,” Mr Sibtain said.

“The sinister reference to … ‘the chat’ and then if he’s going to do anything he’s not going to tell anybody, he’s just going to do it, just on its face it reeks of a coded plot to see whether or not they can get rid of a principal informant against family members.“

Earlier in in the trial, Mr Taylor denied the reference to “the chat” had any such meaning, and said he thought the conversation was about something else.

Mr Taylor was initially charged with dealing with an instrument of crime but was cleared at committal.

His uncle Michael was jailed last year for 30 years over his role in the scheme.

Hadid was jailed for two years and six months for supplying cocaine.

The trial continues.