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A professional wrestler just released from jail is accused of blackmailing the Iron Man son of a feared boxer who was featured on the cover of an Underbelly book.
Huseyin Gul, from Craigieburn, is back behind bars amid claims that he pulled a knife on Nick Fyfield, 36, at his home in May last year.
Mr Fyfield is the son of Paul Fyfield, who was named in court by police but never charged for the 1994 ‘Road Gang Heist’ in which robbers posed as road workers and made off with $2.3 million in cash from an Armaguard van.
Huseyin Gul (pictured before his imprisonment in 2016) was a professional wrestler in his day.
Paul ‘The Fox’ Fyfield is the father of Nick Fyfield, who was allegedly extorted by Gul
Paul Fyfield (right) is an Iron Man who was once caught up in a sting aimed at his father.
While fellow kickboxer Pasquale ‘Percy No Mercy’ Lanciana was jailed in 2021 for his role in that heist, Fyfield Snr played a keen onlooker despite police claiming he was a leading figure in an Oceans-style criminal gang. 11 made up of fellow Melbourneians connected to the wrestling and fitness business.
In 2020, Fyfield Snr was cleared of a 2006 armed robbery of an Armaguard van believed to be linked to the Road Gang Heist crew.
On Tuesday, the court heard that Gul had just been released from jail after serving the full seven years of a 2016 rape sentence when he contacted Fyfield Jnr about an alleged $6000 debt.
The court heard that Fyfield Jnr had minimal contact with the justice system but had previously been charged after being unknowingly caught up in a drug sting targeting his father.
Police told the court that Fyfield Jnr was charged with a drug offense after a search of his bungalow turned up steroids hidden behind a bookcase along with a cache of cash.
The fitness guru was treated by the court diversion program.
Under Victorian law, diversion plans are often issued to first-time offenders and are designed not to affect a person’s life in the future.
Paul Fyfield (left) graced the cover of Leadbelly, part of the Underbelly series on crime in Melbourne. He had helped carry the coffin of gangland murder victim Willie Thompson, another part-time actor with ties to combat sports.
Huseyin Gul is alleged to have outbid Nick Fyfield over an alleged drug debt
Huseyin Gul (left) will remain behind bars until his next court appearance in March.
Under the diversion plan, Fyfield Jnr was not required to formally plead guilty to the charges and instead simply admitted to the offenses charged.
Police claimed they were not aware of any link between Gul and Fyfield Snr.
Gul claimed that Fyfield Jr., who had participated in Iron Man contests around the world, had been a former teammate of his before he was locked up.
Fyfield Jnr would later tell the police that he hardly knew Gul and denied that he owed the portly Gul a penny.
The court heard that Fyfield Jnr rebutted the entirety of Gul’s claims.
He says he has never sold drugs to anyone. That his relationship with Mr. Gul was not of that nature. They met socially on one or two occasions, but that was it… he says there is no debt,” a detective told the court.
The court heard that Gul tracked Fyfield Jnr to his home in Mordialloc, south-east Melbourne, where he pulled out a knife and demanded cash back for allegedly dodgy merchandise.
The incident was allegedly witnessed by a neighbor who called the police.
Gul’s lawyer, Kieren Reynolds, claimed that his client had acted in self-defense against Fyfield Jr. and his partner.
The court heard that Gul was armed with two knives when police knocked on his parents’ door, but he turned himself in without incident.
Fyfield Jnr will likely be called to testify at Gul’s preliminary hearing in March.
Gul is expected to plead not guilty to stalking, blackmail, unlawful assault and assault with a weapon.
Nick Fyfield (left) and dad Paul Fyfield (right)
Nick Fyfield is a successful fitness guru who denies selling any kind of drug to Gul.
Nick Fyfield is likely to present evidence against Gul at a preliminary hearing in March.
Refusing to be released on bail, Magistrate Andrew McKenna ruled that Gul posed a serious risk to the community if released.
‘This is a disturbing story from any point of view. It is a recent story that occurred shortly after his release,” McKenna said.
“He certainly has a propensity to become aggressive and, in part of his history, violent.”
The court heard that Gul had a history of drug and violent offenses and in September last year found himself back behind bars after pleading guilty to drug and weapons offences.
A doctor who evaluated Gul stated that he relied on drugs to get by.
“He considers that the use of illicit substances is beneficial for his mental health,” the doctor suggested to the court.
The court heard that Gul believed people disliked him and had a hard time communicating with them while drug-free.
“He expressed that his main driver of substance use is that it dissolves these feelings and makes it feel like magic,” the doctor said.