Gold Coast law firm client supplied cocaine to his solicitor

A drug trafficker who had a privileged education has been given a jail sentence for supplying cocaine to his solicitor.

Ben Alexander Townson

A convicted drug trafficker and former fitness instructor has been given a three-month jail sentence for supplying cocaine to one of his solicitors.

Ben Alexander Townson was arrested as a result of Operation Jackal, which was investigating Gold Coast law firm solicitors Shaune Irving and Campbell MacCallum, Brisbane District Court heard.

Townson, 32, pleaded guilty to supplying Mr Irving, through an associate, with $300 worth of cocaine on December 8, 2019.

Crown prosecutor Sam Rigby said Townson was at the time represented by Mr Irving and Mr MacCallum, and was on bail on a drug trafficking charge when he committed the offence.

Solicitor Shaune Irving was supplied with cocaine by client Ben Townson.

There is no suggestion Mr MacCallum was supplied with any drugs.

Judge Vicki Loury said Mr Irving had contacted Townson for the purpose of purchasing cocaine and he had organised the supply.

Evidence of the offence was captured in intercepts of text messages and through listening devices, Brisbane District Court heard.

Mr Townson, who was arrested in September, was also originally charged as a result of a Crime and Corruption Commission investigation with money laundering.

The court was told that charge had been discontinued.

Judge Vicki Loury said Townson had a significant criminal history.

In May last year, Townson was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years’ jail for drug trafficking, involving him supplying MDMA to a large drug syndicate and buying cannabis and cocaine for the syndicate.

Judge Loury said Townson, who had completed Year 12 at Brisbane private school Anglican Church Grammar School, known as Churchie, had a privileged education.

Barrister Chris Wilson said Townson had worked in the fitness industry, as a personal trainer and running his own supplement shop, before working for a rendering company.

Mr Wilson said since he had been in prison Townson had been doing paid work, which the judge said was only given to “model prisoners’’, and drug rehabilitation courses.

Judge Loury sentenced Townson to three months’ jail, to be added onto his seven-and-a-half-year sentence, and ordered he be eligible for parole on March 15 next year.

Solicitor Shaune Irving is facing 22 charges.

They include three counts of perjury, one count of attempting to pervert justice and two counts of false verified statement, in the District Court.

Other charges currently before the magistrates court include 10 fraud counts, four counts of supplying a dangerous drug and two counts of money laundering.