Journalist Steve Barrett thrown ‘under bus’

A former property developer who engineered a $5m blackmail plot lied ‘his head off’ and threw veteran journalist Steve Barrett ‘under the bus’, a court has heard.

Journalist Steve Barrett. Picture: Damian Shaw

A former property developer who engineered a $5m blackmail plot lied “his head off” and threw veteran crime journalist Steve Barrett “under the bus” in an effort to “save his own skin”, a court has heard.

Barrett, who formerly worked for 60 Minutes, the Seven Network and The Australian, has been accused of helping Daniel Hausman and his co-conspirator Daniel Rostanovski blackmail the leaders of the Plutus Payroll tax fraud syndicate by threatening to expose them through the media if they weren’t paid $5m.

Barrett, 63, has claimed he was just “shaking the tree” when he was allegedly caught on tape by federal police blackmailing Adam Cranston, the adult son of former deputy Australian Taxation Office commissioner Michael Cranston, at the Sydney office of tax lawyer Dev Menon in February 2017.

In closing submissions on Monday, defence barrister Clive Steirn SC told the NSW Supreme Court that Hausman had “lied his head off” in a desperate bid to “save his own skin”.

“He causes the achilles heel in the crown case,” Mr Steirn said. “He has pleaded guilty to serious criminal charges (and) the only way he can improve his situation is by making a deal with the crown.”

Mr Steirn said his client, who claims he was an unwitting cog in the extortion plot, had been seduced by Hausman’s information about the tax fraud syndicate’s exploitation of “mum and dad” investors.

“Mr Barrett is being baited. He is being reeled in, hook, line and sinker,” he said. “He (Hausman) knew Barrett was a sucker for human interest stories.”

The journalist, who has pleaded not guilty to making an unwarranted demand with menaces, told the court last week he received $2000 upon being retained by Hausman to investigate the alleged scam during a meeting at a cafe in 2017.

“Do you really believe for one moment that Mr Barrett would accept $2000 to become involved in a blackmail where Mr Haus­man and Mr Rostanovski are going to get $5m?”

Mr Steirn said his client had left the room at Sydney’s MLC Centre to answer a phone call when Hausman and Rostanovski demanded a $5m payment from the Plutus ringleaders in return for keeping quiet. “Whilst he is talking on the phone, one of the people present says ‘What’s this all about’ and Rostanovski says ‘Wait until he goes’.”

In her closing address, crown prosecutor Patricia McDonald SC said on Monday that Barrett had maintained the “charade” of being an “independent journalist” during the meeting.

“The accused’s role was to provide the menaces,” she said. “That is, I’m a journalist, I’m going to expose a story ... that your conduct involves criminal conduct, fraud and money ­laundering.”

The prosecution alleges Barrett was part of a joint criminal enterprise, along with Hausman and Rostanovski, and was recruited into the scheme so he could “provide the threat of exposure.”

The trial continues.