But on Monday,that image was in stark contrast to the figure in the dock. Fisher,now 41,dabbed away tears as his lawyer,Dermot Dann,KC,detailed to Judge Gerard Mullaly how drugs had destroyed Fisher’s life.
Sam Fisher (centre) arrives to questions from reporters at the County Court of Victoria in Melbourne.Diego Fedele
Fisher pleaded guilty this month in the County Court to trafficking a large commercial quantity of methamphetamine,trafficking cocaine and 1,4-Butanediol,and three counts of drug possession.
Mullaly had previously indicated he would jail Fisher for a maximum five years and four months if he pleaded guilty.
Carrying a black suitcase packed for prison,Fisher appeared emotional as Dann argued that his prison sentence should be reduced because of Fisher’s poor emotional state,physical ill-health and guilty plea,and the impact his arrest and prosecution has had on his family.
“We say he is a good person,a very,very good person,who got into a very,very bad situation,” Dann told Mullaly at the pre-sentence hearing.
“His offending should be seen in that very sad,troubled context.”
The court heard that West Australian police had discovered a suspicious parcel bound for Victoria in April 2022 with $129,000 cash inside. They traced the package to the original sender,a man from Western Australian named Julien Morvan.
The court was told on Monday that Morvan and Fisher had exchanged several messages on the encrypted app Signal – Fisher sending messages to Morvan under the moniker “Fish” – in which they plotted the trafficking of drugs hidden in household kitchen appliances.
In one incident,the pair planned to collect a kitchen rangehood from Moorabbin and deliver it to a Hampton store connected to Morvan’s father,before its ultimate planned postage to Western Australia,the court heard.
A court sketch of Fisher facing Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in 2022.Mollie McPherson,Nine News
Morvan regularly used his father’s store,the court heard,as a destination to assist his trafficking operation,without his father’s knowledge.
Detectives later seized the oven rangehood bought online from Harvey Norman in Western Australia. An examination of the appliance uncovered 996 grams of methamphetamine and 82 grams of cocaine.
Soon after,in May 2022,investigators from Trident taskforce raided Fisher’s Sandringham apartment,car and storage cage,where they found methamphetamine,LSD,valium,diazepam,1,4 Butanediol,a human growth hormone kit and eight syringes.
Dann said Fisher had worked towards rehabilitation for two years since being arrested but conceded that he “has to pay a price for his involvement” and must go to prison for a “significant period”.
‘We believe,in the future,given the opportunity,this type of person could use these events and public persona to have a genuine positive impact on society.’
Dermot Dann,KC
“We believe,in the future,given the opportunity,this type of person could use these events and public persona to have a genuine positive impact on society,” Dann said.
“Many,many people want to support this man,including the players’ association and St Kilda Football Club,and you’ll see those references.”
The court heard that due to legal expenses,Fisher’s father,now retired,might have to return to work. Both of his parents supported him in court on Monday.
Mullaly will sentence Fisher,who is on bail,on May 16.
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