DRUG HOUSE FOOTY LINK

[magpie in the 80's]

Drug house footy link
Article from: The Advertiser

January 22, 2008 05:30pm

POLICE have busted a drug syndicate allegedly run by Finks bikies, revealing links to a 'growhouse' with an SANFL player, a former AFL player and manager.
Four houses – at Enfield, Blair Athol, Parafield Gardens and Christies Beach – have been raided this month in the latest sweep by detectives from the Organised Crime Investigation Branch, who have been working with the Australian Crime Commission.

Title documents show that the Enfield home, on Jackson Tce, is owned by former Crows midfielder Hayden Skipworth – who lives in Ballarat – and is believed to be under the management of Brenton Hart, step-father to former Crows footballer Ben Hart.

Police said today an Enfield man, 60, was arrested on January 15 and charged with complicity in activities connected to cannabis production and dishonestly dealing in documents.

It will be alleged he was managing properties on behalf of the owners, but was providing the houses to tenants to specifically grow hydroponic cannabis crops.

The first raid, on January 3, at a Blair Athol property uncovered eight plants and about 18kgs of drying cannabis. Two men, from Virginia, 25, and Kilkenny, 23, were arrested and charged with cannabis offences.

The same day, houses at Enfield and Parafield Gardens were searched and hydroponic equipment were seized along with 18 plants from the Enfield house and 24 at the Parafield Gardens property.

Last Wednesday, a Christies Beach man, 24, was arrested and charged with producing cannabis for sale.

Yesterday, two cars, a Toyota Supra and a Holden Commodore, and a Harley Davidson motorcycle, were seized from a fifth property, this time at West Croydon.

Superintendent Deane Paynter said police would allege a man, 24, arrested at the West Croydon house was a "hang around" of the Finks bikies and the organiser of the hydroponic operation which saw cannabis grown in SA and freighted to Queensland.

"That person is closely associated with the Finks".

The Advertiser understands one of the properties was rented by SANFL South Adelaide player Dale Ellis.

South Adelaide Football Club officials yesterday said Ellis had contacted them to arrange a meeting with them.

Superintendent Paynter said in all but one case, the owners of the houses were unaware their properties were being used as a grow-house.

"They were deceived, they were really innocent parties," he said.

"What this whole investigation has demonstrated is the propensity of organised motorcycle gangs to involve innocent parties in their activities".

There is no suggestion that Ben Hart or Hayden Skipworth had any knowledge of the activities police are investigating.

[Stevie_K]

Um.....wow

[Rushby Hinds]

I wouldn't suggest that ANYONE comments on this thread!


Lovely weather....

[am Bays]

My only comment is sh!thouse article full of circumstantial evidence.....utter crap really who cares...

[Jimmy]

well, its public knowledge now? why cant anyone comment on it? its not like its all hush hush???

[am Bays]

One could make the comment about Skipworth finally having some "green" in his jumper.....

[Pseudo]

I wouldn't suggest that ANYONE comments on this thread!


Lovely weather....

don't worry, SturtPeter will hijack this thread in due course

[JAS]

Tiser website says no comments for legal reasons...maybe because not everyone involved has been charged with anything yet.

Regards
JAS

[Jimmy]

bays fans have an obsession with SP.

i hear if you mention his name 3 times in a row in front of the mirror, he will come get ya

[Sojourner]

As a member of the SAFC, I would expect that if any player or official was found guilty of a criminal offence that they would immediantly hand in their resignation, especially if it was an offence related to drug production or dealing....

[LBT]

Meanwhile i thought it was a slow news month in the SANFL

[Pseudo]

bays fans have an obsession with SP.

i hear if you mention his name 3 times in a row in front of the mirror, he will come get ya

We're safe. We never look in the mirror.

[spell_check]

My only comment is sh!thouse article full of circumstantial evidence.....utter crap really who cares...

The "Womans Day" level of readers who read the Advertiser care!

[dash61]

Cast your memories back

Remember the great weekly newspaper with the page 3 girl "The Truth", they would have run this story.

Was a good footy paper and race paper but what was the "so called stories they ran each week from the so called readers (like a letter for advice) ??? was it heart balm???, cant remember it was a classic.

This story would have been front page

[GWW]

Cast your memories back

Remember the great weekly newspaper with the page 3 girl "The Truth", they would have run this story.

Was a good footy paper and race paper but what was the "so called stories they ran each week from the so called readers (like a letter for advice) ??? was it heart balm???, cant remember it was a classic.

This story would have been front page

I doubt most of us could remember any of the Truth apart from Page 3

[smithy]

There was a page 4 ?

[TroyGFC]

Why do they even mention Ben Hart, nothing to do with him one bit!! (Typical Advertiser trying to make the story bigger than it is!!)

[RustyCage]

There was a page 4 ?

There was only a page 1 and 2 to cover the page 3 when it was sitting on newsagent shelves.

[Magpiespower]

Cast your memories back

Remember the great weekly newspaper with the page 3 girl "The Truth", they would have run this story.

Was a good footy paper and race paper but what was the "so called stories they ran each week from the so called readers (like a letter for advice) ??? was it heart balm???, cant remember it was a classic.

This story would have been front page

I doubt most of us could remember any of the Truth apart from Page 3

Instead of using Little Golden Books like every other parent, my old man taught me to read with The Truth.

However, he only ever let me read the sports pages.

Wasn't until years later that I discovered the wonder of page 3.

And page 4, 5, 6, 7 and so on.

In his weekly column in The Australian Media section on Thursday, former owner/publisher/editor Mark Day admitted that they just made up most of the stories in The Truth.

Shock! Horror!

[Dogwatcher]

I'm currently working with someone who was a Truth employee - he loved his time there. Said some of the stories were hilarious.