Drug accused pro surfer Tate Robinson’s not allowed to see girlfriend Mikayla Noakes
A pro surfer who is a co-accused in an alleged drug supply sting has will not be allowed to see his girlfriend despite arguing the separation was taking a mental toll.
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A pro surfer caught up in the same cocaine bust as a former NRL star has failed in a bid to have a court ban on him seeing his co-accused girlfriend lifted, despite a magistrate admitting it might seem ‘cold-hearted’.
Tate Robinson, 21, and his Instagram influencer girlfriend Mikayla Noakes, 20, were among seven people arrested last November as part of a police operation targeting a cross-border cocaine syndicate.
Former Gold Coast Titans star Michael Gordon was also arrested in raids on the Tweed Coast.
Robinson and Noakes were granted bail on strict conditions including that they have no contact with one another.
Lawyers for Robinson on Friday sought to have his bail relaxed so he could see Noakes again and resume their de facto relationship.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Alix Thom strongly opposed the application, telling Tweed Heads Local Court that investigators were concerned of possible ‘collaboration’ between the couple.
Sgt Thom said they were a young couple who had been bailed to live with their respective parents, and it was not as if they would be ‘out in the street’ or forced into ‘couch surfing’.
Robinson’s lawyer, Campbell MacCallum, tendered documents including a psychological report that stated his client’s mental health was ‘clearly deteriorating’ as a result of not being able to see his girlfriend.
Mr MacCallum said Robinson’s parents, whom he described as ‘very good, upstanding members of the community’, were willing to supervise the relationship.
Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy said while he did not want to sound ‘cold-hearted’, the court made many orders prohibiting spouses from having contact with each other - though he conceded this was mostly in domestic violence cases.
He said he was not prepared to lift the no-contact order but agreed to relax other bail conditions, including overturning a ban on Robinson using social media, drinking alcohol and entering Queensland.
But Mr Dunlevy said Robinson could only use Instagram for the purpose of honouring his surfing sponsorship commitments.
Robinson has entered no pleas to multiple charges including participating in a criminal group and supplying cocaine, and his case will return to court on March 12.
Noakes will be sentenced on March 22 after pleading guilty earlier this month to charges including participating in a criminal group and supplying and possessing cocaine.
Gordon, who was sacked as an assistant coach at the Titans after his arrest, is due to be sentenced next Monday over his alleged low-level role in the syndicate.
His lawyer, Michael McMillan, has said Gordon will plead guilty to possessing cocaine but that he was ‘small fish’.
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Originally published as Drug accused pro surfer Tate Robinson’s not allowed to see girlfriend Mikayla Noakes
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