Ep 5. Jockey Smith - Public Enemy Number One

Australian Crime Stories season 2 episode 5 centers around the notorious criminal, Jockey Smith, who was declared as "Public Enemy Number One" by the New South Wales police in the 1990s. The episode delves into the life of Jockey Smith and his criminal activities and explores the events that led to his eventual capture.

The episode begins with a background of Jockey Smith's early life, where he grew up in a working-class family in Sydney and struggled with poverty and crime from a young age. He was a natural athlete and started horse racing in his teens, which became his main source of income. However, he soon began to use his horse racing connections to engage in illegal activities, and his criminal empire began to grow rapidly.

Jockey Smith was involved in various criminal activities, including drug trafficking, illegal horseracing, and money laundering. He was known for his violent tactics and was feared by many in the Sydney criminal underworld. However, despite the numerous arrests and convictions, he managed to evade the police for many years and continued to run his criminal operations successfully.

The turning point came when Jockey Smith was implicated in a gun running scandal that made the headlines in the national media. The police launched a massive operation to capture him, and Jockey Smith went into hiding. The episode describes the intense manhunt that ensued and the various tactics used by the police to bring him to justice. This included using an informant to infiltrate his criminal network and gathering intelligence from his associates.

Eventually, after months of searching, Jockey Smith was arrested by the police in a dramatic raid. He was charged with a range of crimes, including conspiracy to commit armed robbery, drug trafficking, and possession of illegal firearms. He was sentenced to a long term in prison, and his criminal empire was dismantled.

The episode also explores the impact of Jockey Smith's criminal activities on the wider community, as well as the complicated relationship between the police and the criminal underworld in Sydney. It highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies in dealing with organized crime, and the importance of intelligence-gathering and collaboration to capture the most notorious criminals.

Overall, Australian Crime Stories season 2 episode 5 provides a fascinating insight into the life and crimes of Jockey Smith, and the efforts made by the police to bring him to justice. It is a gripping and thought-provoking episode that is sure to captivate viewers.