Duped drug cook asked to live with Nicola Gobbo after he made parole.
A Tony Mokbel drug cook, who was besotted with Nicola Gobbo asked to live with her after he made parole. But little did the lovesick cook know, she was informing on him.
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A Tony Mokbel drug cook duped by barrister Nicola Gobbo was so besotted with the lawyer that he sought permission to live with her after he made parole.
The lovesick drug manufacturer had money put into his prison account for years by Gobbo, before police took over the payments for her, the Lawyer X royal commission heard.
The cook was unaware Gobbo had informed on him, leading to his arrest by the Purana task force.
The former boss of the anti-gangland task force, Jim O’Brien, told the royal commission that, in hindsight, Gobbo should not have represented the cook following his arrest on major drug matters.
Mr O’Brien said it had come as a shock when he learned Gobbo had arrived at the St Kilda Rd police complex in 2006 as the drug cook’s lawyer.
Gobbo again arrived after the arrests of others involved in the drug syndicate, including Milad Mokbel.
“I was certainly unhappy about it,’’ Mr O’Brien said.
“But my understanding was Milad Mokbel didn’t say anything.’’
Mr O’Brien said he agreed that Gobbo’s charging of fees from clients she informed upon could be viewed as a crime, namely obtaining financial advantage by deception.
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The former detective also agreed significant efforts were made to keep her role as an informer secret.
Gobbo was given extraordinary access to documents, which included her being given transcripts, draft copies and completed copies of statements.
The royal commission resumes on Monday.