Tony Mokbel Walks Free After Sentence Reduction
Gangland figure Tony Mokbel has been released from jail after his major drug trafficking sentence was significantly reduced on appeal.
Original Conviction and Sentence
In 2012, Mokbel received a 30-year prison term with a 22-year non-parole period after pleading guilty to leading an extensive drug syndicate across three separate criminal cases. Of the total sentence, 20 years were linked to one case.
Appeal Outcome
On appeal, the sentence was reduced to 13 years, seven months, and 15 days, which the court recognized as time already served before the appeal process.
“He is taken to have served that entire sentence,” Justice Stephen McLeish said.
Court Proceedings and Reactions
- Mokbel acknowledged the court by standing and bowing before kissing his girlfriend and leaving silently.
- The justices took into account the quashing of an earlier conviction in 2023, known as Plutonium.
- Mokbel suffered a head injury during incarceration and was sentenced as a first-time drug offender in resentencing.
Decisions on Related Convictions
On October 3, the Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed one conviction (Quills), ordered a retrial on another (Orbital), and upheld a third (Magnum).
Justices Stephen McLeish, Maree Kennedy, and Stephen Kaye delivered these rulings collectively.
Tony Mokbel has effectively served his rewritten sentence and is currently free.
Author's summary: Tony Mokbel's drug trafficking sentence was significantly cut on appeal, factoring in earlier overturned convictions and health issues, leading to his release after time served.