Trafficker’s tales behind closed doors at Lawyer X royal commission after police threats

The Lawyer X royal commission hearings were moved behind closed doors after Victoria Police yesterday threatened to take legal action against the judicial inquiry.

The Lawyer X royal commission hearings were moved behind closed doors after Victoria Police yesterday threatened to take legal action against the judicial inquiry.

The commission began hearing public evidence from ex-police officer and convicted drug trafficker Wayne Strawhorn about his involvement with gangland barrister turned police informer Nicola Gobbo.

But after less than an hour, Strawhorn inadvertently said the name of one of his former drug squad informers.

“I respectfully ask that these issues be dealt with via (closed) hearing and, if not Commissioner, then I ask that these issues be referred, as a position of law, to the Supreme Court,’’ Saul Holt, QC, for Victoria Police, said.

GOBBO NOT THE ONLY PRIZED INFORMER FOR EX-COP

CORRUPT COP TO BE ROYAL COMMISSION STAR WITNESS

KEN JONES TO TESTIFY AT LAWYER X ROYAL COMMISSION

Gangland barrister turned police informer Nicola Gobbo.

Commissioner Margaret McMurdo ordered the informer’s name be struck from the record, saying the inquiry could “work around the issue” while remaining in public.

But Mr Holt insisted the inquiry must be closed, saying: “We now have seen two instances … names are being used or indications are being given which are sufficient to identify human sources.”

Evidence relating to five of Strawhorn’s criminal informers were then heard in closed court.

Earlier, the inquiry heard the now disbanded drug squad became involved with Gobbo as the firm she was working for represented a number of major heroin dealers.

In 1998, Strawhorn, Gobbo and a client met over coffee at a cafe near the St Kilda Rd police station, to spell out the requirements needed to become a human source and get a “sentence discount”.

Ex-police officer and convicted drug trafficker Wayne Strawhorn.

The trio also went to Sydney where the client-turned-informer provided details about his drug supplier to New South Wales’ authorities.

In his statement, Strawhorn said in 1999 he introduced Gobbo to detectives from the Victoria Police Asset Recovery Squad after Gobbo had made allegations of money laundering against a prominent lawyer.

The money-laundering investigation never led to charges.

In 2003, Strawhorn was drummed out of the force after he was arrested and charged with supplying drugs to gangland figure Mark Moran. He was convicted for trafficking pseudoephedrine and given a seven-year prison term.