The Snitch: Bikie boss gatecrashed Eddie Hayson’s brothel sale

Which bikie boss inserted themselves in the middle of Eddie Hayson’s brothel sale? Which crime boss is about to lose his jet ski? And what do the legal profession think of judge Garry Neilson? The Snitch is here.

With big time punter Eddie Hayson back in the news, we were told about an infamous visitor who inserted himself into the deal to sell his infamous Sydney brothel.

A consortium of businessmen were going to buy Hayson’s Camperdown brothel, Stiletto, and roll it into Adultshop.com as part of a plan to list the world’s biggest sex business on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2011.

The buyer had the paperwork ready to go and had also been given the list of clients who frequented the venue, which was populated with NRL identities, jockeys and other high profile Sydney personalities.

When news broke about the bold business move, former bikie boss and now accused international drug boss Mark Buddle entered the chat.

“Buddle paid one of the buyers a visit during a meeting at Eddie’s lawyer’s office and said ‘By the way, I own 50 per cent of Stiletto’,” one person who was familiar with the deal said.

Eddie Hayson at Sydney Airport in February. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Mark Buddle.

The potential buyer asked Buddle to produce the paperwork showing proof of his ownership.

“He said ‘There’s no paperwork. I own it.”

Rather than get stuck in a circular argument with Buddle, the businessman deferred to Hayson’s lawyer, Sevag Chalabian.

Readers might remember that Chalabian was sentenced to 12 years’ jail last year for laundering $24m for crooked businessman Adam Cranston in Australia’s biggest ever tax fraud scam.

So what’s the link between Hayson and Buddle? In 2016, Hayson handed Buddle $60,000 when the bikie got out of jail and later explained that he gave the money to the ex-Comanchero boss: “Because I like him.”

Yep, Snitch is thinking the same thing you are: I need a friend like that too.

Fast Eddie’s business dream for Stiletto fell over once Westpac boss Gail Kelly found out via the media that the bank was funding the operation via $30 million worth of loans and pulled the handbrake.

According to media reports, Hayson ultimately sold Stiletto for $17.6 million in 2015.

Recently, Hayson was arrested and charged by police who have accused him of smuggling 16kg of methamphetamine and 5kg of MDMA from Sydney to Perth in August last year. Meanwhile, Buddle is awaiting trial in a Melbourne prison having been charged over large scale drug smuggling.

Snitch’s ever-helpful lawyers have reminded us to tell you that Hayson’s charges have nothing to do with anything mentioned above.

NO JET SKI FOR YOU

The real police and the fun police are after one of Sydney’s more high profile gangsters.

We can’t name the person in question because they are about to stand trial accused of trying to kill a rival.
But the asset-seizing arm of the NSW Crime Commission is now making moves to seize his jet ski.
They have applied to the NSW Supreme Court for an order to seize the black jet ski manufactured by Bombardier Recreational Products registered in the alleged gangster’s name.

They also want the Dunbier boat trailer that is registered in his name and cash held in his Suncorp bank account.

Our alleged crime figure had initially been bailed to live in a luxury waterside location on the shooting charges, so presumably a bit of jet skiing was on the cards.
But he’s ended up back behind bars on remand where he has been pouring over the new evidence that is being served on him.

SURELY, YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS

From the perspective of the legal profession, we’re told there are three trains of thought on the occasional missteps of District Court Judge Garry Neilson.

Judge Garry Neilson.

Judge Neilson’s greatest hits have included saying that incest may one day be normalised; taking four days to read aloud a 139-page judgment; and this week recusing himself from a case over comments that were potentially racially problematic.
To some, it’s a bad look for the bench and they’re not happy about it.
Others think there is nothing wrong and he’s a good judge who simply has a propensity to think out loud. Others think it’s comedy gold.
The latter group call him “Leslie”, in a reference to legendary comedy actor Leslie Nielsen.
The star of The Naked Gun and Airplane was a comedy genius thanks to his characters who were often straight-faced and oblivious to the absurdity of certain situations.

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