Liam Moody’s bid for release denied a second time
A man who was arrested after millions of dollars of drugs were found buried in a backyard in Lara, near Geelong, has failed in his bid to be released on mental health grounds.
Police & Courts
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A judge has refused bail for an alleged drug importer left depressed at being in the clink, stating his condition was “far from surprising” given he faces life behind bars.
Liam Moody’s bid for release was denied a second time despite being armed with a $360k surety and concerns from his lawyers that he’s so “catatonic” that he can’t give proper instructions.
The 37-year-old was arrested in July after he was seen unloading 80kg of ketamine from a budget rental truck in Lara, with a further 80kg buried in eskies in the backyard.
Police described the $6m haul as the largest ketamine seizure the country had ever seen.
Facing six charges that carry life behind bars, Mr Moody failed to get bail in the Magistrates’ Court in August, taking his bid to the Supreme Court.
His lawyers asked for the Altona man, diagnosed with recent depressive disorder, to be released to Harmony House for mental health treatment.
But Supreme Court Justice James Elliott on Thursday rejected his application, stating it was “far from surprising that Mr Moody is in a depressive state given the situation he finds himself in”.
His Honour noted that Mr Moody’s condition had “only recently come about” and that he’d refused to take his medication.
The judge expected he’d be able to give his lawyers instructions in “due course” once he complied with treatments.
The court heard his older brother Christopher Moody, who has lived in Indonesia since 2020, was being treated as a “person of interest” in the drug probe, and was considered a suspect by police.
Meanwhile, a $7500 transfer from their mum Kim’s account for taxes for the drug haul shipment was made “without her knowledge”.
The case has embroiled the whole family as his dad Allan offered up $290k surety from the family’s home, along with $20k in savings and a further $50k that others were willing to fork out for his release.
Despite that, His Honour found Mr Moody to be “too high a risk” given he’d previously falsified documents and could flee overseas, given his brother remained in Indonesia and his long-term nanny girlfriend was from Brazil.
He could also have access to further cash after “unexplained wealth” of $224k was found in a Williamstown storage unit along with 25kg of MDMA, while a Yarraville storage unit leased by another brother, Jordan – living in Germany – had contained 14kg of cocaine.
The court heard he’d last week told a mental health worker that it was “important that he lived with his family”.
A bed had been ready for him at his family home, where his girlfriend now lives, and a construction job was waiting.
Mr Moody had recently sat through a 40 minute consultation where he “spent most of that time crying”, and had written a note to staff stating his medication prescription was “making my condition worse”.
“I need help, please,” he penned.
He now spends his time behind bars working in the prison kitchen six days a week, from 10am to 3pm.
It’s expected that is where he will remain for now given his two failed freedom bids.
He will return to Melbourne Magistrates’ court over the drug charges with co-accused James Wojniusz next month.
Kristian Leivers, also charged, faces a hearing testing the evidence against him in March, 2024.
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