Johnson claimed he killed the crime boss in self-defence because he suspected Williams had a plan to kill him.
But in 2011 he was found guilty of murder by a Supreme Court jury andjailed for life,to serve 32 years before he becomes eligible for parole. At the sentencing,Justice Lex Lasry told Johnson his legal defence was “fanciful”.
But Johnson has followed the likes of drug traffickersTony Mokbel and Pasquale Barbaro in appealing against his conviction because of the Ms Gobbo was involved in his case,and it is now known she wasa registered police informer while she was representing clients.
Ms Gobbo told the Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants that she once visited Johnson in prison after he was arrested on unrelated offending. She also sat in a conversation where others discussed a failed kill plot on another man because the hired hitman – Johnson – went to the wrong house. It is unclear whether Ms Gobbo ever acted as Johnson’s lawyer.
Johnson,48,appeared via a video link to watch an administrative hearing in the Court of Appeal on Wednesday,where his barrister,Jason Gullaci,said he had sought documents about his client’s case from state and federal prosecutors,Victoria Police and Corrections Victoria.
Mr Gullaci rejected any suggestion his requests from the agencies for documents was a “fishing expedition”.