Society cocaine dealer Matthew Doyle loses sentence appeal

Former property developer Matthew Doyle has lost appeal against his sentence of at least five years behind bars over a massive international drug plot that never was.

Society cocaine dealer Matthew Doyle has lost appeal against his sentence of at least five years behind bars over a massive international drug plot that never was.

The former high-flying property developer showed no reaction as he appeared before the state’s highest court on Wednesday by AVL dressed in prison greens from jail.

The three Court of Criminal Appeal judges were unanimous, Chief Justice Andrew Bell said, while the reasons for the decision will not be published until Thursday.

Matthew James Doyle was part of a syndicate that was planning to smuggle a massive shipment of cocaine worth about $80 million into Sydney. Doyle, from Burraneer in Sydney’s south, and his beautiful wife Kelsea are movers and shakers in this city’s social scene. Pictures facebook

Doyle, 33, has already served two and half years of his maximum eight year sentence with a non-parole period of five years.

He had argued that the sentencing judge had not given him a big enough discount for pleading guilty and said he was owed more than the automatic 25 per cent.

There were never any drugs and the private schoolboy 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.

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

Matthew James Doyle and his socialite wife Kelsea in happier times. Pictures facebook

When he opened the 50 duct-taped parcels and discovered there inert powder instead of cocaine, he desperately tried to call one of the undercover operatives, telling him: “Please answer me because I’m going to be shot over this.”

He had argued on appeal that he had shown genuine remorse and accepted responsibility for his actions.

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.

Before his world came crashing down, Doyle and his wife, Kelsea Doyle who once worked for fashion brand Camilla and Marc, were regulars among the eastern suburbs social set.

There is no suggestion she knew anything about his drug dealing.