World super-middleweight boxing champion Ricky Thornberry jailed for two years

FORMER Queensland world super-middleweight boxing champion Ricky Thornberry sent to jail for driving around with an "eight-ball" of "speed" and a loaded semi-automatic pistol.

FORMER Queensland world super-middleweight boxing champion Ricky Thornberry has been jailed for two years for driving around Brisbane streets with an "eight-ball" quantity of the illicit drug "speed" and a loaded semi-automatic pistol.

The Brisbane Supreme Court was this morning told Thornberry, 43, had developed a serious addiction and a string of convictions for drugs offences since June 2008 - which was effectively the end of his illustrious career as a one of the world's finest pugilists.

Justice Peter Applegarth was told Thornberry's life spun out of control and went into an inevitable "downward spiral" with the end of his boxing career - leading to his addiction to marijuana and methyl-amphetamine, known on the street as speed.

A forlorn and despondent Thornberry stood shaking his head in the dock of Court 13 as Justice Applegarth revealed he would have to spend at least eight months of the two year prison sentence in actual custody.

Thornberry, whose mother and friends wept as he was led to the court holding cells, had earlier pleaded guilty to one count each of unlawfully possessing a dangerous drug, namely 12.19 grams of methyl-amphetamine, and a .22 calibre semi automatic pistol which had its serial number ground off in April 2010.

Prosecutor Sarah Klemm said Thornberry's first drug conviction was in mid-2008, after police found him with bag containing "five tablets" down his pants while he ate lunch in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.

She said Thornberry fronted the Gatton Magistrates Court, 90km west of Brisbane, in January 2009 for two separate arrests relates to possessing 1.5 grams of marijuana, pipes and instructions on how to set up a hydroponics kit to grow marijuana.

The court was told Thornberry was again arrested, three months after being paroled for gun and amphetamines possession, after being caught again in Fortitude Valley with a quantity of methyl-amphetamine, a knife and a pipe hidden in his pants.

Ms Klemm said about 9pm on April 30, 2010, police stopped a car being driven erratically along Gympie Rd, Chermside, on Brisbane's northside.

She said Thornberry, who was acting nervously, told police he had nothing in the car.

However, the court was told during a subsequent search police found the loaded pistol, five bags of methyl-amphetamine, a set of digital scales that resembles a mobile telephone and $1971 in cash.

Ms Klemm said the amount of drug, described in drug circles as an "eight ball", the cash and the firearm in Thornberry's possession left it open for the judge to construe the offences had a "commercial" aspect to them.

Barrister Peter Nolan, for Thornberry, said his client had confirmed he was battling a serious drug addiction which was triggered by the decline of his boxing career.

"After his (boxing) career came to an end he went into a downward spiral (and drug addiction)," Mr Nolan said.

Thornberry's 17-year boxing career (27 wins, five defeats) ended spectacularly when he lost a bout to Sydneysider Anthony Mundine at the Gold Coast in November 2002.

His many achievements as a boxer include winning the super middleweight national, Commonwealth and world titles.

The Courier-Mail in December 2008 revealed Thornberry was acquitted on charges of attacking his pregnant girlfriend with a knife that she had described as a machete.

Justice Applegarth, in jailing Thornberry for two years, ordered he be released on parole on December 15.