Guy Capponi pleads guilty to role in alleged Hells Angels NT drug network

A 62-YEAR-OLD Humpty Doo man felt honour-bound to become a patsy for a drug network after an alleged meth dealer saved his life.

A 62-YEAR-OLD Humpty Doo man felt honour-bound to become a patsy for a drug network after an alleged meth dealer saved his life.

But Guy Capponi told the NT Supreme Court any sentence following from his guilty plea was in addition to a “lifetime penalty” after being disowned by his two police officer daughters.

The court heard Capponi became involved in the elaborate interstate meth network after his life was saved by his co-accused, Barry Hunt, whom police have alleged is a Hells Angels bikie gang associate.

On Thursday, the court heard Capponi was respon­sible for picking up meth deliveries disguised as parcel deliveries to the Humpty Doo and Howard Springs post ­offices.

Over three months in 2020, he picked up three packages totalling more than 200g of meth shipped in from ­Victoria.

For his role in each of the deliveries, Capponi was paid an eight-ball, 3.5g of meth.

Capponi’s covert collections were delayed by his co-accused’s suspicions their operation had been “burnt” by investigators and switched from their disposable cells to calling public telephone boxes at set times.

His paranoia was well founded, with police monitoring the packages and scanning their contents.

In August, the Humpty Doo ­father went to collect the illicit package not realising the 54.61g package of meth had already been seized by police.

Capponi carried the empty parcel back to his co-­accused’s home.

It was only when they opened the parcel that they realised their error.

That afternoon, Organised Crime detectives raided his Humpty Doo home and seized cannabis plants and material.

Capponi said the cannabis was for his personal use but initially denied his involvement in the meth drug supply.

Senior crown prosecutor Marty Aust said while Capponi played a minor role, it was an essential part of the sophisticated drug network.

The self-represented father of four said he was “obliged” to help the alleged bikies after he was rescued when a heart condition left him unconscious on the floor of his home.

He said it was his co-­accused, Hunt, who found him and called the ambulance and later cared for and checked on him in hospital.

“He did mention ‘You wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for me’,” Capponi said.

He said his involvement had cost him his freedom and family.

“I’ve got a lifetime penalty as it is because two of my children work for various police departments in respective states and they’ve actually disowned me. These actions have cost me dearly. At the age that I’m at, I can’t restart my life again.”

Capponi pleaded guilty to intentionally taking part in the commercial supply of methamphetamine and possessing drugs.

He was given a suspended sentence of 22 months in prison, taking into account the 30 days he had already spent in jail.