Tony Mokbel Walks Free After Drug Sentence Reduction
Gangland figure Tony Mokbel will not return to prison following a significant reduction of his drug trafficking sentence on appeal. Initially sentenced in 2012 to 30 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 22 years, Mokbel had pleaded guilty to masterminding an extensive drug syndicate across three major criminal cases.
Of the original 30-year sentence, 20 years were related to one particular case. However, on Thursday, the Court of Appeal reduced this sentence to 13 years, seven months, and 15 days—an amount of time the court recognized as “time already served” by Mokbel prior to the appeal hearing.
During the court proceedings, Mokbel acknowledged the justices with a bow and then kissed his girlfriend. He left the courthouse smiling but did not respond to any questions, heading straight to his legal team.
Details of the Resentencing
Justice Stephen McLeish explained that, in resentencing Mokbel, the court considered the quashing of a prior conviction known as Plutonium in 2023, a head injury Mokbel sustained while in prison, and the decision to treat him as a first-time drug offender.
“He is taken to have served that entire sentence,” Justice McLeish said.
Appeal Court Decisions on Convictions
- One of the three major drug convictions (Quills) was unanimously quashed by the Court of Appeal.
- The court ordered a retrial for a second conviction known as Orbital.
- The third conviction, Magnum, was upheld.
Summary: Tony Mokbel’s lengthy drug trafficking sentence was substantially reduced on appeal, leading to his immediate release after the court acknowledged time already served and reconsidered his convictions.