A former Canberra cafe owner doing 13 years' jail for drugs offences has had an appeal dismissed.
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Brendan Leigh Baker, 29, fronted the ACT Supreme Court last month to fight against his convictions.
His barrister Beth Morrisroe argued the jury that last year found him guilty of 11 drug-related offences should have doubted a lead witness in the case, and that they had been exposed to prejudicial evidence.
The drug offences included attempting to import methylone, which is a synthetic form of MDMA.
Ms Morrisoe said a drug dealer turned police informer gave evidence at Baker's trial that had an "overarching theme" of vagueness, generality and inconsistency, so the jury should not have entirely accepted his version of events.
The police informer told the jury Baker had approached him and offered to supply him drugs at a cheap price.
He said they eventually went into business together, and originally trafficked cannabis before Baker began supplying him MDMA to sell - a proposition Ms Morrisroe urged Court of Appeal judges to ditch.
She told them last month: "Ultimately, Your Honours should be left with a lingering doubt [as to] his credibility and his reliability ... [and therefore, a lingering doubt as to] whether an innocent man has been convicted."
The barrister said the jury had heard "substantially prejudicial" evidence that Baker had pressured two men to pay him what he claimed was $230,000 in debt, or money that equated to "four hits".
One of the men took that to mean four murders.
Ms Morrisroe said that evidence should not have been allowed because the jury could have inferred that Baker knew what a "hit" was and how much a murder was worth.
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She said the evidence could have suggested Baker was a dangerous person, but prosecutors argued the four hits evidence pertained to the kind of threats people might expect in the drug dealing world.
They said the jury was well-placed and informed to assess the police informer's credibility and his evidence stacked up pretty consistently.
Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson on Wednesday said she and other Court of Appeal judges had dismissed Baker's appeal. He will be eligible for parole in April 2025.
Cassandra Morgan
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
