The Snitch: Shayne Hatfield, Mark Buddle and Hassan Hallak updates
Which old school crim is back in jail for Xmas? What do the cops reckon Mark Buddle’s Ciphr handle was? And which troubled lawyer has a trial date? Read The Snitch
Police & Courts
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Ex-surfer and cocaine kingpin Shayne Desmond Hatfield is back in jail after being charged over a nasty alleged domestic violence incident involving a prison nurse he formed a relationship with after she treated him behind bars.
Hatfield was only released from jail last year after serving 18 years in jail over a notorious $30m drug smuggling operation with an All-Star cast of other old school crooks.
Hatfield faced Manly Local Court on December 15 on six charges, including three of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and another three of stalking or intimidation.
We’re told the incident occurred at Hatfield’s Collaroy home and that the alleged victim was his girlfriend.
The woman allegedly jumped off the balcony of the home and suffered multiple broken ribs and damage to one of her vertebrae, we’re told.
The woman was a mental health nurse who met Hatfield when she was treating him behind bars and the pair later formed a romantic relationship.
We’re told she had at least three sessions with Hatfield around 2018.
Hatfield is currently behind bars with his bail refused and we’ve reached out to the Commonwealth Parole Authority to see how they feel about the charges, given that his parole for the cocaine importation doesn’t expire until February 2029.
Hatfield walked out of prison on December 20, 2022.
He was jailed over a 200kg cocaine smuggling conspiracy that used drug mules flying into Sydney Airport from South America with cocaine in black suitcases.
Corrupt baggage handlers then moved the cases so they would not be examined by Customs officers.
The operation also involved old school Sydney crims in the form of ex rugby league star Les Mara and “Prince of thieves’’ Michael Hurley.
Around the time the syndicate was operating, Hatfield was infamously pictured in front of millions of dollars in cash in front while wearing a balaclava.
In 2019, Hatfield was further jailed over a plot to extort property tycoon and convicted murderer Ron Medich in a conspiracy involving disgraced ex-cops Roger Rogerson and Glen McNamara.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
We learn a lot about criminals (alleged or otherwise) by their choice of handle or username for that indispensable tool of their trade the encrypted phone.
Recently extradited bikie boss Mark Buddle has been accused of smuggling an eye popping amount of coke into Australia.
Police allege the handle Buddle was using on his Ciphr phone was “CONTRACT R RATED”.
Apparently that was because he allegedly took out contracts for certain activities that could not be said to be PG rated.
He has a trial looming for which we understand he plans to plead not guilty.
HALLAK TRIAL DATE
Troubled criminal lawyer Hassan Hallak has been given a trial date and it’s in Parramatta District Court on February 16, 2024.
Hallak is set to contest a count of perverting the course of justice.
He’s accused of attempting to get a driver assaulted by crime figures allegedly linked to the Allameddine family in 2019 to change the story he gave to cops.
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