Former top cop Simon Overland left Christine Nixon in the dark over Gobbo
By 2008, Nicola Gobbo had been a supergrass for more than two years and Melbourne underworld figures were beginning to find out, but former top cop Simon Overland failed to tell his boss about her being an informer, the Lawyer X royal commission has heard.
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Former top cop Simon Overland failed to tell his boss Nicola Gobbo was a secret police source even after gangland killer Carl Williams exposed her snitching to the underworld and her car had been firebombed.
Christine Nixon, then Chief Commsioner, remained clueless to Gobbo’s dual role as Informer 3838 despite the real possibility of her being killed and the “disastrous” organisational risk for the police force.
By 2008, Gobbo had been supergrass for more than two years and dangerous figures in Melbourne’s underworld were beginning to find out, the Lawyer X royal commission heard.
On April 16, Gobbo’s car was torched while out to dinner in South Melbourne.
Months later, investigators received letters penned by Williams from his cell in Barwon Prison exposing her as an informer to the underworld.
But Mr Overland, Ms Nixon’s most-trusted deputy, stood by his decision not to tell her of the increasing risks, even when it jeopardised the force.
Mr Overland on Friday said he took the firebombing incident “very seriously” but did not see the point in telling his police chief.
Ms Nixon revealed on Wednesday she had no idea of Gobbo’s identity as a police informer until almost a decade later.
Asked why he didn’t tell the police chief about Gobbo after her car was set alight, Mr Overland said: “why would I?”
Mr Overland, who oversaw the investigations into Melbourne’s bloody gangland war, said he believed Ms Nixon did not have time nor “head space” to deal with operational matters.
“These are judgment calls you have to make,” Mr Overland said. He said he never read the letters written by Williams, but was briefed on their “concerning” contents.
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Asked by Chris Winneke QC, counsel assisting the commission, if there was a “conspiracy” to keep information from him, Mr Overland said: “I don’t know, I can’t comment”.
Mr Overland said he first discussed an “exit strategy” for their prized source in May 2006.
But almost two years later, Gobbo was still registered as an informer.
Mr Overland will continue his evidence on Friday.
Originally published as Former top cop Simon Overland left Christine Nixon in the dark over Gobbo
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