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Fine Cotton mastermind jailed
BRISBANE: Murdered Sydney
SP bookmaker Michael Sayers was
named yesterday as the financier
of the Fjne Cotton ring-in.
Mr Sayers was named by Mr
John Patrick Gillespie, the alleged
mastermind of the racing scandal,
who was jailed yesterday for four
years by a Brisbane District Court
judge.
Mr Gillespie, 46, had pleaded
guilty to conspiring with Mr
Hayden Haitana and Mr Robert
North to affect by deceit the result
of a horse race conducted by the
Queensland Turf Club on August
18, 1984.
Mr Haitana and Mr North are
already each serving 12 months' in
jail.
Defence barrister Mr Phil Hardcastle
told the court yestrerday Mr
Gillespie had said media magnate
Mr Kerry Packer and the Waterhouse
bookmaking family did not
have any part in the ring-in.
Mr Hardcastle said Mr Gillespie
failed to turn up for a committal
hearing in Brisbane last year because
he feared for his life.
He said Mr Gillespie believed he
would be killed like Mr Sayers,
who was shot dead outside his
Sydney home in February last year
about the time of the court hearing.
Mr Hardcastle said Mr Sayers
had been a heavy gambler, losing
$3 million on Queensland races in
one year.
Mr Gillespie and Mr Sayers had
discussed ring-ins and one was put
into place in April, 1984, which
became the Fine Cotton affair, Mr
Hardcastle said.
Mr Sayers was the "money
man", he said.
"Big money was set for that
weekend," he said. "The whole
thing was set up for Sayers to get
back at the bookies in Sydney."
The Crown prosecutor, Mr
Ralph Devlin, told the court Mr
Gillespie organised the purchase of
Fine Cotton for $2,000.
Mr Gillespie also arranged to
buy another horse, Dashing
Solitaire, for $ 10,000 which was to
be the ring-in for Fine Cotton, Mr
Devlin said.
However, when Dashing
Solitaire injured himself, Mr
Gillespie then arranged the
$20,000 purchase of Bold Personality,
the horse which eventually
raced and won under Fine Cotton's
name, he said.
In handing down his sentence,
Judge Loewenthal said he accepted
that Mr Gillespie was a major
conspirator who stood to make
substantial personal gain.
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