WA: Krakouer found guilty of drug charges for second time

AAP General News (Australia)
02-18-1999
WA: Krakouer found guilty of drug charges for second time

By Andrea Mayes

PERTH, Feb 18 AAP - Former AFL star Jimmy Krakouer has been found guilty for the second
time on drug charges relating to the trafficking of 5.3kg of amphetamines from Melbourne to
Perth in January 1994.

After four hours of deliberation, the Perth District Court jury found Krakouer guilty of
conspiring to possess and attempting to possess the drug with intent to sell or supply.

Krakouer, 40, who pleaded not guilty to both charges, stood impassively in the dock dressed
in a blue shirt and pants while the verdict was announced.

The former North Melbourne rover was convicted of the same charges in October 1995 and
served two years and eight months of a 16-year sentence.

The conviction was quashed by the High Court in June last year because the judge was found
to have misdirected the jury on a fundamental legal point.

The new trial heard that the 5.3kg of amphetamines was one of the largest quantities of the
drug ever seized in Western Australia.

The amphetamines had been packed into 12 plastic freezer bags which were then put into two
garbage bags and stuffed behind the inside door panels of a Datsun Bluebird that Krakouer had
arranged to be transported to Perth from Melbourne.

Krakouer did not know the car was intercepted by police and the drugs removed and replaced
by white flour, before it was returned to a trucking depot in Perth's eastern suburbs.

Krakouer and another man, Ross Phillip Calder, later collected the car, the court was told.

The Bluebird was then driven to the Hilton home of Krakouer's brother Andrew.

When police arrived at the house they found the two brothers and Calder transferring the
bags of white powder from the Bluebird into a Ford Escort panel van.

Krakouer's defence counsel did not call witnesses during the four-day trial, and Krakouer
was not required to take the stand.

The defence argument rested on questioning the accounts given by police witnesses to the
jury.

Judge Robert Viol will sentence Krakouer tomorrow, following submissions from both the
defence and prosecution.

Crown prosecutor James MacTaggert told the court the prosecution would be seeking the same
sentence that Krakouer received at his original trial in 1994 - 16 years for the conspiracy
charge and eight years for attempted possession, to be served concurrently.

He said the sentence should be backdated to June 3, 1996, to take into account the 990 days
imprisonment Krakouer has already served.

Outside the court, Krakouer's lawyer Mark Dean said he was very disappointed at the verdict
and consideration would be given to an appeal.

AAP alm/pr/cjh/de

KEYWORD: KRAKOUER NIGHTLEAD

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