Attempted drug supplier and former NRL player Jamil Hopoate was merely a courier picking up eight one-kilogram slabs and possibly knew little about his taking part in a cocaine ring, a court has been told.
Hopoate, 27, is being sentenced in the Sydney District Court for attempted supply of a large commercial quantity of cocaine.
The son of former Manly winger John Hopoate and brother of former Canterbury star Will was arrested in 2021 after federal police found 514kg of cocaine hidden in a consignment of toolboxes.
The cocaine, with an estimated street value of $155 million, was replaced with an innocuous powder and then tracked as it was distributed across Sydney, leading police to a van Hopoate was travelling in.
Greg James KC played down his client's role, saying the prosecution case didn't show Hopoate knew or wanted to have cocaine in his possession.
"All he's doing is picking up that which he's instructed to pick up and transmitting it to or at the direction whoever had obtained it," Mr James said.
Hopoate was paid $7000 to move the slabs but had no profit stake in the cocaine supply, the court was told.
He was initially charged with large commercial drug supply and held on remand for two months. But that was withdrawn after it was clear he hadn't possessed cocaine at any time.
Hopoate pleaded guilty in the local court to the lesser offence of attempted supply in May, entitling him to a 25-per-cent sentence discount.
"In the circumstances, it's accepted he at least had the minimum state of knowledge necessary to constitute such essential awareness that the slabs had or were likely to contain cocaine or another illicit drug," Mr James said.
The Crown expressed concern that Hopoate's addictions to gambling, alcohol and other drugs would recur once he was released from jail.
Since July 2021, he's been unable to touch alcohol or other drugs or gamble due to his strict bail conditions.
"What will be staring him in the face is when Mr Hopoate comes out of jail and is not subject to strict bail conditions, will be him having those skills to (ensure he doesn't) relapse back into his very significant, long-term addiction to alcohol," the prosecutor said.
The sentencing continues.
