A prominent Kimberley musician who allegedly had an estimated $60,000 of methamphetamine mailed to him via Christmas cards is facing trial in Broome.
Key points:
- Michael Mavromatis is on trial in Broome District Court over significant drug charges
- Police say they intercepted two Christmas cards meant for Mavromatis’s Broome address, containing methamphetamine
- Mavromatis has pleaded not guilty to all charges
Michael Mavromatis, who wrote and co-wrote several songs for the musical Bran Nue Dae, appeared in the Broome District Court on Monday.
Mavromatis was charged with two counts of attempting to possess methamphetamine with intent to sell or supply and one count of possessing unlawfully obtained property.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Prosecutor Cameron Henderson told the court Mavromatis came to the attention of police in January 2021, when officers seized an express post package from the local post office.
In Broome, residents do not receive post directly to their properties and have to pick it up from their local post office or PO box — and police discovered a Christmas card sent to a PO box leased under Mavromatis’s name.
Inside the card was three clip seals of methamphetamine totalling 13.92 grams.
A message inside the card read:
“Seasons greetings … from a not very wintry wonderland.”
Mavromatis’s property searched
Following the discovery, detectives executed a search of Mavromatis’s Broome property five days later, where they allegedly uncovered four more Christmas cards with the same inscription and with sticky tape attached to them.
Police also allegedly found a smoking implement, electronic scales, small clip bags and $7,200 stashed in a suit jacket, which Mavromatis said was left over cash from a trip to the Cocos Islands just a month before.
Hours later, detectives again attended the post office where they allegedly found another Christmas card addressed to Mavromatis, with the same inscription — “from a not very wintry wonderland” — and 13.7 grams of meth inside.
Officers subsequently charged Mavromatis over the discoveries.
Police alleged the money they found at his unit was likely obtained unlawfully and estimated that in January 2021, the drugs were worth $60,000.
Mavromatis’s lawyer Kate Turtley-Chappel said while the musician accepted the majority of the facts, he disputed elements of his alleged offending.
The trial is set down for four days.
He remains on bail.