Robert Trimbole
Encyclopedia
Robert Trimbole was an Australian businessman, drug baron and organised crime boss whose alleged involvement in the disappearance of anti-marijuana campaigner Donald Mackay and involvement in drug trafficking in the Griffith, New South Wales
area, led to a royal commission
, a Coroner
's inquest
and an international chase by the Australian Government seeking his arrest and capture after his escape to Ireland
.
parents who migrated from the southern Italian region of Calabria
. In 1952, Trimbole married Joan Quested in Sydney
then moved to his parents' house in Griffith, New South Wales
. After several months Robert and Joan moved into their own rented property and raised their four children.
He rented a nearby garage and operated his own panel beating and spray painting
business before declaring himself bankrupt
in 1968 with debts of A$11,000. Shortly after, his business was mysteriously destroyed by fire, and all records were lost.
and doing well financially. In 1972 he opened a restaurant
called The Texas Tavern and a butcher shop
. Many believed these businesses operated as a front for illegal marijuana
distribution and other varieties of organised crime. He sold both businesses to an associate, Giuseppe Sergi in 1973. By this stage Trimbole's wealth
had grown substantially and he was able to discharge his earlier bankruptcy.
Now living in a luxurious house with a swimming pool
in a nicer part of town, Trimbole had built an empire valued at over A$2 million and a reputation as a major drug baron. Many locals referred to his house as the "Grass Castle", a reference to Trimbole's rise to power in the illegal marijuana trade.
Trimbole invested in many luxury items and businesses, including farms, cars
, speedboats, several clothing stores, a liquor store and a wholesale wine
business. He later added a trucking
company and a supermarket
. He also purchased land
to further his marijuana growing capacity. Trimbole seemed to go about his illegal activities virtually unchallenged.
He soon became the principal of the Australian drug trade based in New South Wales, and earned the nickname "The Godfather
", a reference to his leadership qualities and Italian background. He also went by the nickname "Aussie Bob", a term given to him by his New Zealand
associates in the Mr. Asia syndicate.
, and anti-drugs campaigner. He was born and raised in Griffith, New South Wales, and operated his family's furniture business. Described as being very community minded, Mackay was an Australian Liberal Party
candidate from 1973 to 1976, but failed to win a seat in parliament.
Concerned about the growing drug trade
in his local area, and learning of a large crop
of marijuana in nearby Coleambally, New South Wales
, Mackay told Sydney police of the information he had obtained regarding the crop, which resulted in several arrests, and four men of Italian descent being convicted on Mackay's information.
Unfortunately for Mackay, at the trial of the men arrested, his name was read out during evidence, identifying him as the whistleblower
. An attempt was made to lure Mackay to Jerilderie
by an unidentified man who wished to make a large order of furniture from Mackay's family business. Mackay, busy at the time of the planned meeting with other matters, sent an employee, who travelled to Jerilderie to find nobody about.
On 15 July 1977, Mackay disappeared from the Griffith Hotel car park after having drinks with friends, and his body has never been found. At the scene of Mackay's disappearance, his locked van had bloodstains on the door, wheel rim, mudguard and tyre and Mackay's car keys and three spent .22 casings were found at the scene.
Trimbole is believed to have arranged the contract style killing of Mackay.
After several months, the Commission reduced the suspect list to six people including:
Justice Woodward says in the official transcript, "I have named Trimbole as being associated with the production of marijuana in Griffith as well as being the director of an operation in Euston. He is, if not the 'top man' in relation to the production of marijuana in the Griffith area, then one of them and closely associated with Antonio Sergi in the same enterprise."
Woodward found regarding the disappearance of Mackay that "the disposal of Mackay was the result of an organised plan. He was disposed of by the organisation which I find existed in Griffith. I am satisfied that the appointment to meet Mackay at Jerilderie was part of a plan to ambush and dispose of him." A year later the New South Wales Supreme Court officially declared Donald Mackay as "presumed deceased".
No further action was taken. Trimbole and his associates were free to return to business as usual.
into Mackay's death, which was eventually held before Coroner
Bruce Brown.
The inquest also heard evidence showing that lights in the car park had been broken before the meeting time set with Mackay, indicating a premeditated act to ambush him, and that Mackay feared for his life after learning that the crop leading to the convictions of the four men had an estimated street value of more than A$25 million.
Evidence was also submitted regarding a man by the name of Patrick Joseph Keenan who made a statement to police that he had walked into a shed in the Griffth area and found Antonio Sergi inside with several women packing large quantities of marijuana into plastic bags.
Forensic evidence supported the crown's case, including ballistic evidence showing that the three .22 cases found at the scene had been fired from the same weapon, a French
"Unique" brand hand gun. Blood and hair samples were also recovered from the scene and matched to Mackay.
Coroner Brown said, "The evidence has now reached the point where I am of the opinion that a prima facie
case of murder, in that each was an accessory before or after the fact, has been established against two known persons whose identity I must not publicly reveal in accordance with the prohibition under section 19 of the Coroners Act."
, about his pending arrest
for conspiracy
to murder
Mackay.
Trimbole fled to the United States
, then to France
and finally to Ireland
, avoiding Customs
checks by changing his date of birth on a Departure Card
.
A month later Trimbole was arrested in Ireland and held in custody awaiting extradition
but, aided by a battery of high priced lawyers, managed to avoid extradition after the Irish Government
refused to extradite him to Australia and he was released.
The Australian government
appealed against the decision of the Irish court, but Trimbole regained his freedom.
Australian Federal Police
intercepted phone conversations of Paltos discussing the failed extradition attempt of Trimbole and made mention of the large amounts of money that Trimbole had spent on his defence, explaining that efforts to extradite Trimbole failed largely due to the efforts of Irish constitutional lawyer Patrick MacEntee, who had become famous for defending IRA
members.
Trimbole escaped Ireland to Spain
, where he died in a Spanish hospital on 12 May 1987, at the age of 56. His body was returned to Australia and his funeral was held in Sydney, where mourners and journalists brawled and made news headlines around the country on the evening news.
, a mini-series on the Nine Network
. He is portrayed by actor Roy Billing
.
Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith local government area. Like the Australian capital, Canberra and the nearby town of Leeton, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the...
area, led to a royal commission
Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking
The Royal Commission into Drug Trafficking or Woodward Royal Commission was a royal commission initiated by the New South Wales Government to investigate drug trafficking in New South Wales, Australia, especially links between the Mafia and New South Wales Police and the disappearance of...
, a Coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
's inquest
Inquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
and an international chase by the Australian Government seeking his arrest and capture after his escape to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Early life
Trimbole was born on 19 March 1931 to ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
parents who migrated from the southern Italian region of Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
. In 1952, Trimbole married Joan Quested in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
then moved to his parents' house in Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith local government area. Like the Australian capital, Canberra and the nearby town of Leeton, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the...
. After several months Robert and Joan moved into their own rented property and raised their four children.
He rented a nearby garage and operated his own panel beating and spray painting
Spray painting
Spray painting is a painting technique where a device sprays a coating through the air onto a surface. The most common types employ compressed gas—usually air—to atomize and direct the paint particles. Spray guns evolved from airbrushes, and the two are usually distinguished by their size and the...
business before declaring himself bankrupt
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in 1968 with debts of A$11,000. Shortly after, his business was mysteriously destroyed by fire, and all records were lost.
The Godfather
After his bankruptcy, Trimbole travelled Australia repairing pinball machinesPinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
and doing well financially. In 1972 he opened a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
called The Texas Tavern and a butcher shop
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
. Many believed these businesses operated as a front for illegal marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
distribution and other varieties of organised crime. He sold both businesses to an associate, Giuseppe Sergi in 1973. By this stage Trimbole's wealth
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
had grown substantially and he was able to discharge his earlier bankruptcy.
Now living in a luxurious house with a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
in a nicer part of town, Trimbole had built an empire valued at over A$2 million and a reputation as a major drug baron. Many locals referred to his house as the "Grass Castle", a reference to Trimbole's rise to power in the illegal marijuana trade.
Trimbole invested in many luxury items and businesses, including farms, cars
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, speedboats, several clothing stores, a liquor store and a wholesale wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
business. He later added a trucking
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
company and a supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
. He also purchased land
Real property
In English Common Law, real property, real estate, realty, or immovable property is any subset of land that has been legally defined and the improvements to it made by human efforts: any buildings, machinery, wells, dams, ponds, mines, canals, roads, various property rights, and so forth...
to further his marijuana growing capacity. Trimbole seemed to go about his illegal activities virtually unchallenged.
He soon became the principal of the Australian drug trade based in New South Wales, and earned the nickname "The Godfather
The Godfather
The Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
", a reference to his leadership qualities and Italian background. He also went by the nickname "Aussie Bob", a term given to him by his New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
associates in the Mr. Asia syndicate.
Disappearance of Donald Mackay
Donald Bruce Mackay was a local politicianPolitician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and anti-drugs campaigner. He was born and raised in Griffith, New South Wales, and operated his family's furniture business. Described as being very community minded, Mackay was an Australian Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
candidate from 1973 to 1976, but failed to win a seat in parliament.
Concerned about the growing drug trade
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
in his local area, and learning of a large crop
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
of marijuana in nearby Coleambally, New South Wales
Coleambally, New South Wales
Coleambally is a small town in the Riverina of New South Wales, Australia, in Murrumbidgee Shire.Coleambally is one of the newest towns in the state of New South Wales, officially opened in June 1968, with the Post Office opening on 1 April 1970...
, Mackay told Sydney police of the information he had obtained regarding the crop, which resulted in several arrests, and four men of Italian descent being convicted on Mackay's information.
Unfortunately for Mackay, at the trial of the men arrested, his name was read out during evidence, identifying him as the whistleblower
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
. An attempt was made to lure Mackay to Jerilderie
Jerilderie, New South Wales
Jerilderie is a town of 768 people in the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the only town in the Jerilderie Shire Local Government Area....
by an unidentified man who wished to make a large order of furniture from Mackay's family business. Mackay, busy at the time of the planned meeting with other matters, sent an employee, who travelled to Jerilderie to find nobody about.
On 15 July 1977, Mackay disappeared from the Griffith Hotel car park after having drinks with friends, and his body has never been found. At the scene of Mackay's disappearance, his locked van had bloodstains on the door, wheel rim, mudguard and tyre and Mackay's car keys and three spent .22 casings were found at the scene.
Trimbole is believed to have arranged the contract style killing of Mackay.
Woodward Royal Commission
The disappearance of Mackay prompted a royal commission into the Griffith drug trade, known as the Woodward Royal Commission after its sole Commissioner, the Honorable Philip Morgan Woodward.After several months, the Commission reduced the suspect list to six people including:
- Robert Trimbole
- James Frederick Bazley
- George Joseph
- Gianfranco Tizzone
- and two known associates of Trimbole.
Justice Woodward says in the official transcript, "I have named Trimbole as being associated with the production of marijuana in Griffith as well as being the director of an operation in Euston. He is, if not the 'top man' in relation to the production of marijuana in the Griffith area, then one of them and closely associated with Antonio Sergi in the same enterprise."
Woodward found regarding the disappearance of Mackay that "the disposal of Mackay was the result of an organised plan. He was disposed of by the organisation which I find existed in Griffith. I am satisfied that the appointment to meet Mackay at Jerilderie was part of a plan to ambush and dispose of him." A year later the New South Wales Supreme Court officially declared Donald Mackay as "presumed deceased".
No further action was taken. Trimbole and his associates were free to return to business as usual.
Coroner's Inquest
Seven years after the Woodward Royal Commission, political and media pressure called for an inquestInquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
into Mackay's death, which was eventually held before Coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
Bruce Brown.
The inquest also heard evidence showing that lights in the car park had been broken before the meeting time set with Mackay, indicating a premeditated act to ambush him, and that Mackay feared for his life after learning that the crop leading to the convictions of the four men had an estimated street value of more than A$25 million.
Evidence was also submitted regarding a man by the name of Patrick Joseph Keenan who made a statement to police that he had walked into a shed in the Griffth area and found Antonio Sergi inside with several women packing large quantities of marijuana into plastic bags.
Forensic evidence supported the crown's case, including ballistic evidence showing that the three .22 cases found at the scene had been fired from the same weapon, a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
"Unique" brand hand gun. Blood and hair samples were also recovered from the scene and matched to Mackay.
Coroner Brown said, "The evidence has now reached the point where I am of the opinion that a prima facie
Prima facie
Prima facie is a Latin expression meaning on its first encounter, first blush, or at first sight. The literal translation would be "at first face", from the feminine form of primus and facies , both in the ablative case. It is used in modern legal English to signify that on first examination, a...
case of murder, in that each was an accessory before or after the fact, has been established against two known persons whose identity I must not publicly reveal in accordance with the prohibition under section 19 of the Coroners Act."
Escape and capture
On 5 May 1981, police recorded a conversation between Trimbole and an associate, Dr Nick PaltosNick Paltos
Nicholas George Paltos was an Australian Doctor and convicted criminal.-Early life:Paltos was born "Nicholas George Paltos" in 1940 or 1941 on the small Greek island of Kastelorizon...
, about his pending arrest
Arrest
An arrest is the act of depriving a person of his or her liberty usually in relation to the purported investigation and prevention of crime and presenting into the criminal justice system or harm to oneself or others...
for conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
Mackay.
Trimbole fled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, then to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and finally to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, avoiding Customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
checks by changing his date of birth on a Departure Card
Departure Card
A departure card, also known as an outgoing passenger card and embarkation card, is a legal document used by a country's immigration authorities to provide passenger identification and an effective record of a person’s entry to and departure from a country...
.
A month later Trimbole was arrested in Ireland and held in custody awaiting extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
but, aided by a battery of high priced lawyers, managed to avoid extradition after the Irish Government
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
refused to extradite him to Australia and he was released.
The Australian government
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
appealed against the decision of the Irish court, but Trimbole regained his freedom.
Australian Federal Police
Australian Federal Police
The Australian Federal Police is the federal police agency of the Commonwealth of Australia. Although the AFP was created by the amalgamation in 1979 of three Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, it traces its history from Commonwealth law enforcement agencies dating back to the federation of...
intercepted phone conversations of Paltos discussing the failed extradition attempt of Trimbole and made mention of the large amounts of money that Trimbole had spent on his defence, explaining that efforts to extradite Trimbole failed largely due to the efforts of Irish constitutional lawyer Patrick MacEntee, who had become famous for defending IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
members.
Trimbole escaped Ireland to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where he died in a Spanish hospital on 12 May 1987, at the age of 56. His body was returned to Australia and his funeral was held in Sydney, where mourners and journalists brawled and made news headlines around the country on the evening news.
Underbelly: A Tale Of Two Cities
Trimbole is a central character in the drama series Underbelly: A Tale of Two CitiesUnderbelly: A Tale of Two Cities
Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities is a 13-part Australian television mini-series loosely based on real events that stemmed from the marijuana trade centred around the New South Wales town of Griffith. The timeline of the series is the years between 1976 and 1987. Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities...
, a mini-series on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
. He is portrayed by actor Roy Billing
Roy Billing
Roy Billing is a New Zealand television actor, now based in Sydney, Australia.-Career:Billing has starred in many television shows and had main roles on Bad Cop, Bad Cop, Dossa and Joe and Hell Has Harbour Views...
.