Nathan Baggaley claims he was influenced by brother Dru as he faces drug charges

As former Olympian Nathan Baggaley prepares to be jailed again over drugs, his lawyers have successfully argued that he was once again influenced by his brother Dru.

Ex-Olympian Nathan Baggaley’s brother Dru has either been the best or the worst thing in his life.

We say this because the former kayaker – who won two silver medals at the 2004 Athens Games – has told courts and tribunals that his brother was either the influencing, or an accidental, factor in all of his troubles.

So, as Baggaley prepares to be jailed again over drugs – this time over a 650kg cocaine haul that was dumped at sea during a speedboat chase – lawyers for the former Olympian have successfully argued that he was once again influenced by his brother.

The result will be that he will get a lesser jail sentence.

It’s a familiar story.

When Baggaley got busted for steroids in 2005, he blamed Dru, telling authorities he accidentally drank his brother’s orange juice which was laced with the banned substance.

Nathan Baggaley.

Dru Baggaley. Picture: Facebook.

Jailed for MDMA supply in 2009, Baggaley told the court it was Dru who came to him with a proposition to make money from drugs. In 2016 when Nathan was jailed over a drug manufacturing operation it was Dru who had convinced him to get involved.

This year, Nathan and Dru were found guilty of importing 650kg of cocaine.

They were arrested after a dramatic boat chase – involving the navy, air force and police – on July 31, 2018.

The dramatic arrest of Dru Baggaley on a boat. Picture: Supplied

Prosecutors argued Nathan had been involved in months of planning for the cocaine shipment. But in May, Justice Ann Lyons told the court that Baggaley’s barrister Anthony Kimmins had convinced her the ex-Olympian had only become involved on the day of the operation, and that he may have been influenced by – you guessed it – Dru.

The brothers will be sentenced on July 27.

DPP MOVEMENT

Lloyd Babb SC’s term as the state’s top prosecutor comes to an end this Saturday.

And we hear there has been some moving and shaking in preparation for the post-Babb world.

We’re told that Babb was spotted visiting a particular barrister’s chambers this week, leading to speculation that he will take up a position there. Does this mean Babb will be taking on some defence work as well?

Lloyd Babb SC is nearing the end of his job as Director of the DPP. Picture: John Grainger

There were also a couple of court cases that may have come to a close, paving the way for one of Babb’s possible replacements.

We’re also told the state’s senior crown prosecutor, Chris Maxwell QC, has agreed to stay on in the position until next January or when the position is filled – whichever comes first.

Stay tuned.

BUSTED/ING

Snitch has a confession to make. We made a Covid faux pax of the highest order – on day one of lockdowns, no less.

A short lesson. Instead of people going to court cases and potentially spreading Covid, the courts have implemented two measures. You can either click a video link, register, and watch court proceedings from the safety of your own home. Or you can dial in on your phone and listen anonymously.

We chose the second and listened using our iPhone headphones – which also feature a microphone for hands-free calls – as a man was being sentenced over an ice supply ring.

Now, the key rule is that when you dial in, you have to mute your phone. This is because the courtrooms are equipped with speakers to play audio evidence to juries.

But a quirk of the Covid set-up is that anyone who has not muted their phone will be broadcast to the courtroom.

That’s what we did.

Nature called and we had to step into the bathroom (yes, the phone/headphones came too). District Court Judge Kate Traill paused proceedings to tell the court that the anonymous caller (us) could be heard over the speakers.

“The court can hear you (exhaling),” she said.

It appears we may have mirrored a famous scene from the 1988 movie, The Naked Gun, where Detective Frank Drebin broadcasts his trip to the bathroom to a live TV audience.

The drug dealer was sentenced to 14 years in jail.

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Originally published as Nathan Baggaley claims he was influenced by brother Dru as he faces drug charges