Brisbane’s battle with drugs: suburbs where people face the most drug charges
New data uncovers shocking rise in drug-related issues when lockdown lifted in Queensland. Find out which suburbs were hardest hit and see the people behind the crimes.
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New data reveals Brisbane battled its biggest drug problem in nearly two decades when lockdown lifted in May, as police recorded an onslaught of drug-related charges across the river city.
A shocking 2676 drug-related charges were laid in a single month, pushing the total 75 per cent higher than the same period in 2019, and bringing the year-to-date total to 24,314.
Many of those accused deny their involvement and have yet to have their matters dealt with by the courts.
DIAL A DEALER: QLD DRUG HOT SPOTS REVEALED
DRUG STATISTICS
Some suburbs were hit harder than others, with figures from Queensland Crime Statistics exposing where the most drug incidents occurred over the last 12 months in Brisbane, between August 2019 and August 2020.
The bustling CBD had the most drug incidents of any suburb, with a whopping 1756 charges recorded.
Fortitude Valley, Bowen Hills, Spring Hill and South Brisbane rounded out the top five, while Inala, Nundah, Chermside, Zillmere and Toowong made the top 10.
THE FACES OF BRISBANE’S DRUG CHARGES
Mary Vincent Molloy
Among those charged include former Commonwealth Bank teller-turned-Instagram fitness model Mary Vincent Molloy.
Molloy, 27, formerly of Newstead and Bulimba, pleaded guilty to 18 charges including one of being a party to boyfriend Jason Atkins’ trafficking in MDA worth up to $1m, 12 charges of supplying cocaine worth $5900, as well as other charges including possession of a cryovac machine.
The influencer, who used to have upwards of 70,000 followers on Instagram, was given a suspended three-year sentence by Supreme Court Justice John Bond in April because of reasons including “COVID-19 considerations” and the fact she was six months pregnant.
Jonathan Miller
Jonathan Miller, 47, who operates and owns management rights to Teneriffe’s Dakota Woolstore apartments, was raided by police in his inner-city home in May last year.
The father-of-two was charged with four offences, including trafficking and possessing dangerous drugs.
The court heard police found a phone with evidence of Miller’s trafficking business, which uncovered a list of 25 identifiable customers whom Miller had sold varying amounts of cocaine to across a 15-month period from January 2018 to May 2019.
It’s understood Miller, who was sentenced to five years’ jail, wholly suspended, was forced to sell his management rights to Hamilton Harbour Residences as a result of his offending.
Breeanna Jade Leila Madsen and Sara Michelle Tucker-Francis
Breeanna Jade Leila Madsen and friend Sara Michelle Tucker-Francis appeared in Cleveland Magistrates Court in September on a string of charges.
Madsen, of Alexandra Hills, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing drugs and one count each of possessing drug utensils and property suspected of having been used in a drug offence and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.
Meanwhile Tucker-Francis, of Birkdale, pleaded guilty to a list of charges including supplying drugs, and three counts of possessing drugs.
The court heard Tucker-Francis had been selling drugs to support her own cannabis habit and to pay for night clubbing, clothes and living expenses.
The pair pleaded guilty to all charges and were both ordered to serve 18-month probation orders. No convictions were recorded.
Rebecca Jane Ianniello
Suspended medical practitioner Rebecca Jane Ianniello, 35, faced Brisbane District Court in September where she pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing dangerous drugs one year after a judge gave her parole and warned the new mother that drugs can put a child at “mortal risk”.
The court heard Ianniello was on parole when she was caught with methylamphetamine, cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinol on April 1 last year.
Just 12 months earlier, Ianniello was sentenced to two years’ jail with immediate parole after police uncovered 4.5g of pure methamphetamine and over $20,000 cash in a Brisbane CBD hotel room in November 2017.
She pleaded guilty to possessing dangerous drugs and was sentenced to 18 months’ jail with immediate parole.
Mark Nicholas Potter
Mark Nicholas Potter, 43, pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing drugs.
The court heard that at 4pm on February 13 this year, police were attending Potter’s home on another matter when they clearly saw a bag of clear crystal substance on the coffee table, which weighed 0.52g.
Potter told police the bag of methylamphetamine belonged to his daughter, who lived with him, while his daughter said it belonged to him.
By pleading guilty, Potter admitted the meth belonged to him. There is no suggestion it belonged to his daughter.
The court heard he had custody of his daughter since she was two years old.
Potter told the court he was “probably not father of the year but I’m giving it a red hot go”.