Nicola Gobbo

Nicola Gobbo
Nationality Australian
Occupation lawyer
Known for corruption cases

Nicola Gobbo is a prominent criminal lawyer in Melbourne, Australia.[1]

Contents

1996

Gobbo first came to public attention during the 1996 Australian federal election. In the last week of the campaign, ALP Treasurer Ralph Willis used letters purportedly from Jeff Kennett, a Liberal, criticising Liberal leader John Howard, but the letters were quickly exposed as forgeries.[2] Gobbo, an ALP member, publicly claimed that the forger was a Liberal staffer who had intended for the forgery to pass initial inspection then rebound on the ALP.[3]

Witness

Gobbo was a witness against Paul Dale, a former policeman convicted of corruption.[4][5][6][7] An eleven page statement she drafted asserted she had clandestinely serving as a courier, passing messages between her clients and their confederates, when they were in jail. Her statement said that she passed messages between Hodson and Dale.

She has asserted that Australian authorities have not fulfilled assurances made to her about protecting her safety. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation repeated that Gobbo asserted she had received death threats due to her planned testimony.[8]

Personal

When the hit TV show Desperate Housewives first premiered in Australia in 2004 Gobbo was one of the prominent Australian women from whom The Age sought a reaction.[1]

She is the sister of a Melbourne barrister, Jeremy Gobbo QC. She is also the niece of the former Governor of Victoria Sir James Gobbo.

References

  1. ^ a b "Women flock to retro show". The Age. 2005-02-05. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/02/04/1107476801671.html. Retrieved 2011-12-07. "Melbourne barrister Nicola Gobbo said: "What a fantastic program. I'm already a fan... It's always good to be able to laugh at reality and it's reality TV for the suburbs. I'm not a suburban housewife but I think it's fabulous.""  mirror
  2. ^ Farouqe, Farrah (2 May 1996). "Forged letters author still unknown". The Age. http://newsstore.theage.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news960502_0193_5431. Retrieved 20 December 2011. 
  3. ^ Nicola Gobbo (1999-07-13). "13th July 1999 - Extracts from document tabled in New South Wales Parliament in July 1999". Australian National News of the Day. http://www.gwb.com.au/gwb/news/pc/kennet1.htm. Retrieved 2011-12-13.  mirror
  4. ^ Padraic Murphy (2011-11-26). "Lawyer Nicola Gobbo intimately linked to former cop Paul Dale". Herald Sun. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/paul-dale-intimacy-claim-with-lawyer/story-fn7x8me2-1226206581529. Retrieved 2011-12-07. "After Mr Dale was charged over the burglary, Ms Gobbo visited him at Port Phillip Prison. Ms Gobbo was later asked to pass messages between Mr Dale and gangland killer Carl Williams. Ms Gobbo later gave a statement to police after recording a conversation she had with Mr Dale at an Albert Park coffee shop."  mirror
  5. ^ Adrian Lowe (2010-06-26). "Lawyer 'demanded $20m'". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/lawyer-demanded-20m-20100625-z9sw.html. Retrieved 2011-12-07. "In April, Ms Gobbo issued proceedings in the Supreme Court against the state of Victoria, Chief Commissioner Simon Overland and his predecessor, Christine Nixon. In her statement of claim, she alleges she was induced by police to make a statement against Mr Dale and her security and safety as a witness were not properly managed."  mirror
  6. ^ Adrian Lowe (2010-09-25). "Gobbo case settled out of court with police". The Age. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/gobbo-case-settled-out-of-court-with-police-20100924-15qob.html. Retrieved 2011-12-07. "Nicola Gobbo, a former criminal barrister, had issued Supreme Court proceedings against the State of Victoria, Chief Commissioner Simon Overland and his predecessor, Christine Nixon, alleging police had failed to comply with an agreement to protect her after she agreed to testify against former detective Paul Dale and put her safety at risk."  mirror
  7. ^ James Campbell (2011-11-27). "How I taped drug squad cop Paul Dale: Nicola Gobbo". Sunday Herald Sun. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/how-i-taped-drug-squad-cop-paul-dale/story-fn7x8me2-1226207064797. Retrieved 2011-12-14. "Gobbo also claims she passed on messages between Dale and Carl Williams under the noses of the police who were trying to put them away, as well as between Dale and Terrence Hodson - a crim and police informer, who, along with his wife, was executed in May 2004."  mirror
  8. ^ Alison Caldwell (2011-11-22). "Death threats in case against allegedly corrupt cop". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2011/s3372929.htm. Retrieved 2011-12-07. "A barrister who has represented several Melbourne underworld figures has been dropped as a prosecution witness in a case against a former drug squad detective because of concerns for her safety. Nicola Gobbo received death threats over her involvement in the case against Paul Dale."  mirror