Steve Mansell dies in tragic death in Western Australia

A father of three and former Victoria Police officer, who was crucial in turning Nicola Gobbo, has died. Friends say Steve Mansell wasn’t the same after he was dismissed over inappropriate emails after a 2010 probe — something he said was a “witch hunt”.

Steve Mansell took his own life.

A former police officer who was integral in turning Nicola Gobbo into a police informer has taken his own life.

Steve Mansell, who was a member of the major drug investigations division, died earlier this week in Western Australia.

The Herald Sun has been told Mr Mansell moved from Melbourne to Perth about 18 months ago, following years struggling with his mental health.

Mr Mansell’s police career as a detective sergeant ended following an internal police probe in 2010-2011 in which he was one of several officers to be dismissed over inappropriate emails.

He told the Herald Sun he had only received an email and believed he had been the victim of a witch hunt by senior command.

After being dismissed from the force, friends say Mr Mansell’s mental health fell into decline.

Steve Mansell, front, was dismissed after an internal police probe but he said he was the victim of a witch hunt.

Melbourne gangland barrister Nicola Gobbo.

A friend, Mick, said Mr Mansell did not receive the support he needed from the force following his dismissal, which the former detective felt was a “witch-hunt’’.

“Steve was a different bloke the last few years,’’ Mick said. “He felt his dismissal was wrongful.

“After a while he totally lost the will to live … It’s a sad end to a good man.

“He doesn’t deserve to go away unnoticed. His life was the police force. Steve just loved the camaraderie. It was his community.’’

Following the High Court of Australia decision regarding Gobbo’s informing in November last year, it is believed Mr Mansell was asked to return to Victoria to take part in police inquiries being undertaken by Taskforce Landow.

It appears Mr Mansell rejected the approach.

A Victoria Police spokesman said the force had been rocked by his death.

“We are saddened and shocked to hear of the recent death of a veteran police member in Western Australia,” said the spokesman.

“Our thoughts are with the member’s family and friends at this time.”

Paul Rowe, Mr Mansell’s colleague, was approached by Gobbo before a case at Melbourne’s Magistrates’ Court in 2005. Picture: Mark Stewart

Mr Mansell moved to WA 18 months ago.

Mr Mansell’s last police posting was in Wonthaggi, where he worked as a detective.

A father of three children, and a grandparent, he regularly holidayed in beach town Inverloch before making the move to Perth.

His career highlights included stints at the armed robbery squad and the major drug investigation division, where Mr Mansell took part in probes into figures such as Tony Mokbel and his drug cartel.

In 2005, Mr Mansell’s colleague Paul Rowe was approached by Gobbo before a case at Melbourne’s Magistrates’ Court.

That day detectives Mansell and Rowe drove Ms Gobbo to Melbourne’s west as she vented for more than hour about how she was being manipulated by Mokbel.

The pair covertly recorded her as she divulged to them how her career had come to a crossroads as a cog in the wheel of his criminal enterprise.

The then Detective Sergeant Mansell was the first to tell Gobbo that “she should get on board” and become a police double agent.

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Mr Mansell and Sen-Constable Rowe had a series of meetings with Gobbo when she was first recruited to act as an informer for Victoria Police in September 2005.

Gobbo would go on to become a prolific and difficult to manage informer from 2005 until 2009.

She would provide more than 5500 pieces of information about Melbourne’s underworld.

Mr Mansell was not called to give evidence to the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants.