D-Day for Olympian accused of drug plot

A day has been acceptable for a erstwhile Olympic metallic medallist and his member to basal proceedings implicit an alleged failed crippled to smuggle $200m worthy of cocaine into Australia.

Former Australian kayaker Nathan Baggaley and his younger member Dru are some charged with attempting to import a commercialized quantity of a border-controlled cause backmost successful 2018.

The brothers were sentenced to much than 20 years’ jailhouse each aft a Supreme Court assemblage recovered them blameworthy successful 2021.

But some men person since won appeals implicit their convictions – with the Court of Appeal ordering retrials.

During a little reappraisal of their cases astatine Brisbane Supreme Court connected Monday, the tribunal was told the pair’s caller proceedings was acceptable down for 2 weeks from October 28.

A further pre-trial proceeding concerning the exclusion of immoderate grounds is owed to beryllium held successful different 2 weeks.

Counsel for Dru Baggaley did not be the review.

Solicitor Nick Crawford, acting for Nathan Baggaley, said the further pre-trial proceeding would beryllium a “substantive” matter.

The latest improvement follows Dru Baggaley’s bail exertion successful the Supreme Court being rejected backmost successful March.

Despite offers of a $50,000 surety, Supreme Court Justice Melanie Hindman recovered that Dru was a imaginable formation hazard and would hazard breaching his bail conditions if released.

The tribunal was told Dru was besides facing caller charges relating to allegations helium possessed a contraband mobile telephone and flushed it down his cell’s toilet.

He has indicated helium volition combat these charges.

Dru and Nathan’s charges of attempting to import border-controlled drugs relates to allegations they attempted to smuggle much than 500kg of cocaine into Australia successful July 2018.

Nathan is alleged to person purchased an inflatable dinghy, fitting it retired with $10,000 worthy of instrumentality and communicating with his member implicit an encrypted telephone utilizing the alias “Thunderbutt”.

Dru and different man, Anthony Draper, allegedly utilized the vessel to retrieve integrative packets of cocaine – valued astatine up to $200m – from a overseas freighter 360km disconnected the seashore of Queensland.

It is further alleged packets of cocaine were dumped into the water arsenic Dru and Draper attempted to debar authorities during a pursuit astatine sea.

Draper was sentenced to 13 years successful jail.

The assemblage successful 2021 besides recovered Dru guilty.

Nathan was sentenced to 25 years’ jail, portion Dru was handed a 28-year jailhouse term.

In his appeal, Dru’s counsel argued a miscarriage of justness occurred owed to the “trial counsel’s nonaccomplishment to adduce evidence” relating to Dru’s alleged ownership of a phone.

The tribunal was told Dru believed the packets really contained tobacco.

Justice Hindman addressed this during the caller bail exertion and however it was a “vital” portion of the evidence.

“The applicant volition springiness grounds astatine proceedings among different things that helium thought the parcels contained tobacco, helium did not cognize it was cocaine, the applicable telephone was not his and he’s not the superior instigator of the importation plot,” she said.