Convicted human trafficker Keith Dobie begs Moorabbin Court to appeal Golf Australia playing ban
A convicted human trafficker from the Gold Coast who ran a prostitution racket has sobbed in a Melbourne court, begging to appeal a playing ban ahead of a major golf competition.
South East
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A Gold Coast man and convicted human trafficker who was caught running a prostitution racket has been brought to tears in a Melbourne court.
Former Broadbeach hairdresser Keith Dobie fronted the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on December 20, asking the court to appeal a decision by major sporting body Golf Australia that banned him from competing in tournaments.
The court heard Dobie had been convicted in a Queensland court of human trafficking, handling proceeds of crime and presenting false documents in 2008, after which he spent 22 months behind bars.
In court documents seen by the Herald Sun, Dobie – whose salon had been destroyed in a fire and flooding incident – ran a prostitution racket to pay back his $50,000 debt to “violent” loan sharks.
He lured two Thai women to Australia to work as prostitutes, promising “easy money and generous working conditions”.
On Friday, Dobie told the court Golf Australia had been made aware of his criminal history and subsequently banned him from playing in major tournaments.
Dobie called previous court reports “absolutely false” saying they had been “exaggerated tenfold”.
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He requested an adjournment date to fall before the beginning of the Victorian Open Golf Tournament, which is set to start on February 6 next year.
Magistrate Luisa Bazzani adjourned the appeal to early 2025, warning him the application “might not fall within the jurisdiction” of the Magistrates’ court.
“If (the application) is struck out, it is open for the respondents – Golf Australia – to seek costs from you,” she said.
The matter was adjourned to February 5, 2025.
