Catherine Gobbo claims she was targeted by crims because of lookalike sister

She is a newly appointed Supreme Court judge but Catherine Gobbo says for years she’s been targeted by underworld criminals who thinks she is her police informer sister.

The state’s most recently appointed Supreme Court judge, Catherine Gobbo, claims to have been the subject of years of hellish intimidation by underworld criminals as a result of her disgraced sister’s role as a notorious police informer.

Associate Justice Gobbo, whose appointment was announced on Tuesday, says she has been the target of mistaken identity attacks, apparantly perpetrated by organised criminals who have confused her with her lookalike older sister, gangland lawyer, Nicola Gobbo.

Associate Justice Gobbo was appointed to the Supreme Court this week, following two-decades as a barrister specialising in commercial law, mediation and insolvency.

She bears a striking resemblance to her disgraced sister.

Catherine Gobbo has been appointed as a judge to the Supreme Court.

Associate Justice Gobbo became a barrister in 2004, six years after Nicola Gobbo, and a year after Victoria Police registered the older Gobbo as an informant.

Associate Justice Gobbo last year said she had been the subject of “mistaken identity encounters” most weeks since her sister was unmasked as a police informant in 2019.

“Some are a hassle, some unnerving, some downright frightening and unlawful, and almost always upsetting,” she said.

She claims she was “menaced” outside a church in the CBD, and that her car tyres were slashed in an “intentional targeting” by an unknown criminal.

Associate Justice Gobbo made the comments in since-deleted social media posts.

She also criticised Victoria Police for what she described as their lacklustre attempts to investigate the attacks and to ensure her safety.

In one comment, she directly addressed Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton.

“Shane, I am not her … I am nothing like her … So why am I paying for the sins of Victoria Police and her?” she said.

Nicola Gobbo was a police informant. Picture: Ian Currie

Associate Justice Gobbo claimed her parent’s graves had been desecrated, that she’d had dead animals delivered to her, and that a convicted drug trafficker had obtained her home address and sent her a Christmas card from Barwon Prison.

She claimed the steps police took to protect her safety were “idiocy”.

She said Victoria Police advised her to dye her hair so she did not resemble her bottle-blonde sister.

She also said she was provided a “covert pen” which, when clicked, would alert police to a threat to her safety.

She said of the pen: “Fancy being given this $2-shop junk by Victoria Police to allegedly assist with safety.

“When a heavy set thug is coming for me hurling abuse, using this is the last thing on my mind.”

The funeral of former governor of Victoria Sir James Gobbo, uncle to Catherine and Nicola Gobbo. Picture: Ian Currie

She also said she was warned to avoid locations where her sister’s former clients might be.

“That would include courts,” Associate Justice Gobbo said.

“I’m a barrister. So how’s that work?”

Associate Justice Gobbo also said police advised her to “remain respectful of the aggressor” if directly confronted.

Both Gobbo sisters are part of one of state’s most pre-eminent legal dynasties.

Their uncle, Sir James Gobbo QC, served as a Supreme Court judge from 1978 to 1994, and as Victoria’s governor from 1997 to 2000.

The Gobbo sisters’ cousin, Jeremy Gobbo KC, is also a senior barrister.

Associate Justice Gobbo this week said she “provided care and assistance to my sister Nicola while she was engaging with Victoria Police in 2009 regarding her provision of evidence against a former police officer (Paul Dale) accused of murder.”

“I was totally unaware of her involvement in other matters with Victoria Police at that time.

“I will be making no further public comment.”

WHO ARE THE GOBBOS

Catherine Gobbo

Sister of Nicola Gobbo

Niece of Sir James Gobbo

Commercial Barrister (since 2005)

Appointed an Associate Justice of the Victorian Supreme Court in 2023

Nicola Gobbo

Criminal barrister (since 1998)

“Debased fundamental premises of the criminal justice system” by working as a police informant against her clients (since 1999)

Outed as ‘Lawyer X’ in 2019

Sister of Catherine Gobbo

Niece of Sir James Gobbo

Currently in hiding

Nicola Gobbo is now in hiding. Picture: Ian Currie

Allan (d. 1926-1990) and Mary (d. 1936-2011) Gobbo

Parents of Catherine and Nicola

Allan worked at VicRoads

Mary worked as a nurse

Lived in Kew

Described by Nicola in an ABC interview as “hard working” and “old fashioned”.

Sir James and Lady Shirley Gobbo.

Sir James Gobbo QC (d. 1931-2021) and Lady Shirley Gobbo

Sir James was a barrister, Supreme Court Judge, and governor of Victoria

Lady Shirley was a librarian

Both were champions of multiculturalism

Sir James was remembered as an “excellent jurist and a luminous intellect”

Uncle and aunt of Nicola and Catherine

Parents of Jeremy Gobbo KC, Flavia, Olivia, Danni and James Gobbo

Jeremy Gobbo KC

A leading planning and environment barrister

Cousin of Nicola and Catherine Gobbo

Claims to be estranged from Nicola and “disturbed by the revelations” of her role as a police informant