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Supergrass barrister Nicola Gobbo handed secret documents from her gangland client Rob Karam to police, allowing them to uncover what was then the world's largest import of 15 million ecstasy pills.
But Victoria's top court has dismissed Karam's bid for his conviction to be overturned after he argued the actions of his own lawyer led to his demise.
Karam is serving 35 years behind bars for trafficking ecstasy, including 4.4 tonne of pills disguised in tomato tins shipped to Melbourne by the Calabrian Mafia in 2007.
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A royal commission into Gobbo – the gangland barrister turned Victoria Police informer known as Lawyer X – heard Karam left documents in her possession for safekeeping while she was his lawyer, including a bill of lading for the shipment of pills.
Gobbo copied the paperwork and passed it to police, even translating it for investigators who then passed it to the Australian Federal Police.
She then billed Karam $550 to appear for him in a bail application after he was charged in connection with the import.
Karam took his case to Victoria's Court of Appeal to seek the convictions be overturned.
He was also seeking to overturn separate convictions for trafficking ecstasy, conspiracy to possess cocaine and conspiracy to import pseudoephedrine.
But on Thursday Justices David Beach, Stephen McLeish and Maree Kennedy determined that while there were grounds to grant him permission to appeal, those appeals should all be dismissed.
Reasons for their decision and a copy of their judgment are not expected to be released by the court until at least Thursday afternoon.
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Karam was one of more than 30 people convicted over the tomato tins import, and is one of several high profile gangland figures to challenge convictions based on Gobbo's connection to their cases – including Tony Mokbel.
The saga of those appeals has been lengthy.
In February 2021 then Court of Appeal President Chris Maxwell pushed for the cases including Karam and Mokbel's to be heard as top priorities, ideally within months.
Justice Maxwell retired in July 2022 and last month his successor Justice Karin Emerton called out the "leisurely course" by some of those appealing.
John Higgs was denied a second shot at bail by Justices Emerton and David Beach, who said it appeared no serious steps to progress his appeal had been taken between early 2022 and August 2023.
