October 17th 2024.
A former Olympic silver medallist, Nathan Baggaley, 48, has recently pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to import a large amount of drugs, specifically about $200 million worth of cocaine. This confession comes just days before he and his brother, Dru Baggaley, 42, were set to go to trial for the same charge.
The Baggaley brothers, both former champions in kayaking, had previously denied these accusations, but have now admitted their involvement in the attempted drug smuggling. When asked how they would plead to their charges, both men simply replied "not guilty" and declined to comment further on the matter.
The sentencing hearing has been adjourned by Justice Declan Kelly to a later date, in order to accommodate the schedules of both brothers' barristers. In the meantime, Dru and Nathan Baggaley have returned to custody.
The events leading up to the brothers' arrest began in July 2018, when Dru Baggaley and another man were intercepted by the navy while using a seven-metre inflatable boat to pick up 650kg of cocaine from a ship off the east coast of Australia. During the interception, Dru was seen tossing parcels into the sea, some of which later washed ashore at various locations along the coast.
The inflatable boat used in the operation was purchased by Nathan Baggaley and registered under his name. This, along with other evidence, led to the brothers being found guilty by a Brisbane Supreme Court jury in April 2021. Dru was sentenced to 28 years in prison, while Nathan received 25 years.
However, the Baggaley brothers later appealed their convictions and were granted a retrial, which was set to begin on October 28. The Court of Appeal found that Dru Baggaley had not been given a proper opportunity to respond to allegations that he had been in possession of an encrypted phone, which received messages about organizing the drug import from a user named "Thunderbutt". Additionally, Nathan Baggaley's conviction was deemed unsound as the jury had not been properly instructed to avoid a guilty verdict that was dependent on his brother being found guilty first.
Nathan Baggaley is a two-time silver medallist from the 2004 Athens Olympics and has also won three world titles. It is a shocking turn of events for someone who has achieved such success in their athletic career. The brothers' fate will now be determined at their upcoming sentencing hearing.
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