Former Bondi cafe owner Darren John Mohr appeals sentence over plot to import half a tonne of cocaine worth over $150m

A former Bondi cafe owner jailed for at least 18 years over his role in a foiled plot to smuggle half a tonne of cocaine into Australia has launched an appeal against the severity of his jail sentence, arguing it was excessive when compared to some of his co-offenders. Darren John Mohr was in 2020 jailed over his part in a conspiracy to sail a vessel from Sydney to international waters to meet up with a South American “mothership” and collect a $150m haul of drugs. Mohr, 50, stood to make $5m from the drug importation, but police pounced on Christmas night in 2016 as the group attempted to bring the drugs ashore, the court was told. Justice Helen Wilson sentenced Mohr to 32 years in prison, with an 18-year non-parole period after he was found guilty of conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug. He will first be eligible for release in January 2037. Justice Wilson, in her sentencing remarks, said Mohr was motivated by maintaining a glamorous lifestyle and a “desire for power, prestige and authority.” But Mohr, the former owner of the Bondi Rescue HQ cafe, on Friday morning appeared before the Court of Criminal Appeal in an attempt to have his sentence reduced. His legal team, headed by prominent barrister Bret Walker SC, argued that his sentence was excessive when compared to those meted out to some of his co-offenders. His appeal centres on his role in the hierarchy of the conspiracy, which the court heard was headed by a Thailand-based mastermind known only as “Gutterball”. During sentencing proceedings, Mohr was described as Gutterball’s “lieutenant”. But Mr Walker argued that other conspirators had “equally important” roles in the importation scheme. The court was told that Mohr travelled to Chile, where the drugs were being shipped from. Chief Justice Andrew Bell - one of three judges hearing the appeal - noted: “You don’t send a mere intermediary to do that.” But Mr Walker said it could not be found beyond a reasonable doubt that his client was “setting up” the importation via boat when he travelled overseas. However the Crown prosecution has argued that he was there to make an “assessment” of the Chilean side of the operation. The Crown further described him as “the most senior of the Australian conspirators”. Justices Bell, David Davies and Robertson Wright reserved their judgment for a later date.