Michael Mavromatis: Kimberley musician acquitted of all meth charges

A Kimberley musician charged with mailing himself $60,000 worth of methamphetamine taped inside Christmas cards has been found not guilty of all charges. Michael Mavromatis, 66, appeared before Broome District Court this week for a four-day trial, initially charged with two counts of attempting to possess methylamphetamine with the intent to sell or supply, and one of possessing unlawfully obtained cash. Mr Mavromatis was arrested in January 2021 after Broome police discovered nearly 28g of the Schedule II drug contained within express post packages at a PO Box rented by Mr Mavromatis. Each package contained a clip-seal bag with 13g-14g of meth taped inside a Christmas card which read, “Season’s Greetings . . . From a not very wintery wonderland”. Police searched Mr Mavromatis’ home two days later to discover Christmas cards identical to those connected to the crime, $7200 of cash in the pocket of a suit jacket, unused clip-seal bags, and a glass smoking implement. Mr Mavromatis maintained his innocence throughout the court proceedings, admitting his ownership of the PO box as well as of the home in which the other evidence was found. However, the defence disputed the evidence’s ability to link Mr Mavromatis to the crime. On Wednesday, Judge Stewart stated regarding count two — the possession of unlawfully obtained cash — the State had failed to provide ample evidence to suggest the $7200 had been obtained illegally. Mr Mavromatis was therefore found not guilty of this charge. She also said the State could not prove the 28g of methylamphetamine was intended for sale or supply. The jury was therefore left to deliberate the remaining two charges of attempted possession of methylamphetamine. Mr Mavromatis’ lawyer Kate Turtley-Chappel argued the State had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt her client had been responsible for the evidence found in his PO box and home. She suggested it was possible for another person to have access to Mr Mavromatis’s PO box as there was no record of the number of keys dispensed by Australia Post since her client hired the box in 2015. Ms Turtley-Chappel also said the evidence found within her client’s home could have been left by another person while her client holidayed in the Cocos Islands a month earlier. The jury deliberated for less than an hour, before finding Mr Mavromatis not guilty of both charges.