When I tell people I am writing about organised crime down under, they often say ‘I didn’t know there was any’, writes James Morton. Oh, but there is. A big gangland war in Melbourne is coming to an end, mainly because there is only one man left standing. In the UK, the cognoscenti think the Krays were involved in the deaths of a maximum of six people, but in this 15-year-long war down under, the body count is somewhere in the region of 30.

Last week saw the end of the trial of 66-year-old Judy Moran (pictured) for the murder of her brother-in-law Dessie, known as ‘Tuppence’. Overall, Moran has had an unfortunate life. Her first husband, a gambler and standover man (or enforcer) Les Cole was killed back in 1982. Together they had a son Mark. She then became the de facto (as the Aussies call it) of Lewis Moran, and they had a son, Jason. Sadly, her two sons Mark and Jason became involved with Carl Williams, who they thought had cheated them in a drug deal. They shot him; unfortunately for them not fatally. Williams then had Mark killed in June 2000, and Jason three years later. In March 2004, down went Lewis. Williams eventually pleaded guilty to a variety of killings and, sentenced to life, died in prison last year after being bashed with exercise equipment. Everything clear so far?

The prosecution’s case was that Judy thought Tuppence was hiding the money from the family’s drug deals from her, and she contracted biker Geoffrey ‘Nuts’ Armour to dispose of him. He had one go and failed, but the second time he managed it. By the way, Armour’s de facto is the daughter of Les Kane, killed in a gangland feud in the 1970s. She received a suspended sentence for helping to clear up after poor Tuppence died.

Judy’s defence was that she was at Mark’s grave polishing the angels when Tuppence copped it. No, said the prosecution, a phone call showed she could not have been, and anyway – what about the gun and the getaway car she disposed of? She said wicked people had planted them and she was frightened.

The jury had to be unanimous, and they deliberated on and off for seven days before they found her guilty. I rather thought this long retirement would mean an acquittal, but lawyers here say that Melbourne juries like to take their time. A deliberation such as this was not that unusual. Had it been up country somewhere like Ballarat, they would have been back in a couple of hours.

James Morton is a writer and former criminal defence solicitor