Victoria Police to pay the legal costs of Mick Gatto’s nephew

Victoria Police will pay the legal costs of Mick Gatto’s nephew, Daniel Gatto, after prosecutors dropped kidnapping charges against him.

Daniel Gatto leaving Melbourne Magistrates court after a Committal. Picture: David Geraghty

Victoria Police will pay the legal costs of Mick Gatto’s nephew after prosecutors dropped kidnapping charges relating to a dispute about a suspected fake luxury handbag.

Daniel Gatto, 39, was last year charged with kidnapping after police said he bashed and forced a man into the back of a car because the victim had sold Gatto a fake Louis Vuitton handbag on Gumtree for $2000.

But the charges were withdrawn in April after the prosecution’s star witness, the alleged victim, refused to give evidence.

At Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, Gatto, with his two co-accused mates, Joseph Mandaliti, 40, and George Daoud, 39, pleaded guilty to possession charges after police uncovered illicit substances and bullets during house raids investigating the alleged kidnapping.

Armed crime squad investigators executed a search warrant at Gatto’s South Morang house in June last year, where they uncovered a single round of ammunition in a Harley Davidson bag and a number of firecrackers.

Gatto’s defence barrister, Martin Amad, who has previously represented his uncle, said his client had been punished enough after spending two days in custody.

“He doesn’t know where the ammunition came from and the fireworks had been there for many many years,” Mr Amad said.

Daniel Gatto’s defence barrister, Martin Amad, has previously represented his uncle Mick Gatto. Picture: Getty Images

“It was just a clean-up by the police to arrest him on those kidnapping charges which were dropped.”

Magistrate Gregory McNamara agreed and said Gatto’s offending was at the “very bottom” of the scale.

He found the charges proven but dismissed them without fine or conviction.

Gatto’s mate, George Daoud, who was accused of forcing the kidnapping victim into the back of a car before the charges were dropped, pleaded guilty to cultivating narcotics after police discovered a hydroponic cannabis set up with 20 plants in a rear bungalow at his Templestowe home.

His lawyer, Theo Alexander, told the court his client grew his own cannabis to use for pain relief because he had a rare muscle disease found in one per cent of humans.

Daoud, who runs a business building cemetery memorial boxes, also pleaded guilty to possessing imitation handguns which his lawyer described as “Frankenstein” firearms that couldn't be fired.

Magistrate McNamara fined Daoud $6000 and recorded a conviction.

He also ordered Victoria Police to pay the trio’s legal costs of all proceedings related to the kidnapping charges.

Prosecutor Sharon Kermath argued against the ruling and said she had not received any bills from the men but one defence lawyer told her he had a $55,000 invoice ready to hand over.

The kidnapping charges were dropped earlier this year after the alleged victim failed to appear at court to give evidence.

The court previously heard that Gatto kneed the alleged victim in the head before he and his mates forced the man into their car and drove him to an ATM to withdraw money following a dispute over the purchase of a $2000 luxury Louis Vuitton handbag on June 7, 2021.

The men were arrested in the following days after police raided their homes.

They were charged with offences including kidnap, assault, theft, unlawful imprisonment and intentionally causing injury.

Magistrate McNamara order police to pay the trio’s legal costs within three months.