Sydney-based defence counsel Michael Croake, who represented three of the six people charged in connection to the drug operation, made the claim in Dubbo Local Court while arguing that the matter should be transferred to Sydney.

Angelo Paul Germano, 50, his 18-year-old de facto wife Jenna Brodie, and Wayne Clive Brown, 33, were arrested at a Peak Hill home on August 9 where police allege they located about $2 million of amphetamine.

Angelo Germano’s 22-year-old son John was arrested shortly afterwards at the Germano family home in Taylor’s Lake in Melbourne and also charged in connection with the Peak Hill operation.

The four have remained in custody since their arrests.

Jenna Brodie was granted bail at an earlier court appearance but the court heard she had not yet been able to meet the terms specified by Magistrate Elaine Jacob.

Desmond Edward Terry, 56, and Terry Nakad, 40, were also arrested and now face drug charges, but were not remanded in custody.

As the four defendants were led into court on Wednesday Angelo Germano turned, winked at his young lover and said “Hi sweety”.

During the appearance an agitated Mr Germano said “it appears it’s all one-sided” and “this is a shambles”.

As the appearance, which lasted more than half an hour, got underway Mr Croake told Magistrate Elaine Jacob it was “fairly explicit that at least two of my clients will be defending the matter”.

“As there are about 2500 transcripts of telephone calls, a trial would take two or three months and it’s unlikely Dubbo could facilitate that,” he said before asking Magistrate Jacob to transfer the matter to Sydney immediately.

However the magistrate refused.

“This is a Dubbo and Peak Hill matter and it is on my circuit,” she replied.

Department of Public Prosecution representative John Doohan revealed to the court a large part of the prosecution’s brief of evidence had been served on the defendants’ solicitors, however the DPP was still waiting on more fingerprint evidence and further transcripts of telephone taps.

When Mr Croake made an application for bail on behalf of John Germano, the DPP produced a transcript of a telephone call which they said proved he was “truly enmeshed in the whole scheme of things”.

However the defence argued there “was absolutely no evidentry nexus” such as voice identification which proved the person speaking in the telephone conversation was John Germano.

Magistrate Jacob refused bail for the Melbourne student, noting there was a presumption against bail in serious drug matters.

The matters of all six defendants will come before Dubbo Local Court again on December 20.