Mick Gatto sues ABC for defamation over Lawyer X death threat claim
Underworld figure Mick Gatto is suing Australia’s national broadcaster for defamation after it published an article which claimed he threatened to kill police informer Lawyer X.
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Underworld figure Mick Gatto is suing Australia’s national broadcaster for defamation after it published an article which claimed he had threatened to kill police informer Lawyer X.
The Herald Sun can reveal Gatto has launched legal action against the ABC in the Supreme Court arguing its article led to “public ridicule and contempt” by claiming he was a “murderer” and “a hitman”.
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Gatto said his “feelings and reputation” had been seriously injured as a result of the publication and he had suffered loss and damages.
The online report titled “Gangland figure Mick Gatto threatened to kill police Informer 3838, court told” was written by journalists Nino Bucci and Sarah Farnsworth and centred on allegations made by a senior police officer in a 2016 affidavit.
In the February 10 article, Farnsworth and Bucci wrote: “Inspector Hall, an officer with more than 30 years’ experience, stated in his affidavit that the risk to Informer 3838 came from ‘some of Australia’s most notorious and violent criminals who are proven to have organised murders in the past’.”
The article also states: “The ABC understands these claims relate to evidence implicating Gatto in the murders of Victor Peirce and fruit and vegetable wholesaler Frank Benvenuto during Melbourne’s vicious gangland war.”
In his writ, obtained by the Herald Sun, he took aim at eight assertions in the article including that he is one of Australia’s most violent criminals, was responsible for the murders of Victor Pierce and Frank Benvenuto and has been proven to have organised murders in the past.
Two days after the story was first published Gatto issued a statement through his lawyer denying allegations he had threatened the police informer, now revealed as Nicola Gobbo.
“Over the last couple of days, numerous media outlets have reported that Mick Gatto has threatened to kill police informer 3838,’’ a statement titled ‘Mick Gatto Press Release’ says.
“Not only is the reporting false, it is mischievous and damaging to Mr Gatto.’’
In 2015, Gatto launched a defamation action against Fairfax media over a report which stated Gatto was “a crime figure who works closely with the Calabrian Mafia”.
Gatto’s Supreme Court writ filed on Friday states he is claiming damages, interest and costs.