High-profile criminal lawyer John ‘Campbell’ MacCallum, 48, sentenced over cocaine snorting with client

A high-profile Brisbane criminal lawyer who snorted a line of cocaine with his own client after representing him in court, has been sentenced.

A high-profile Brisbane criminal lawyer who snorted a line of cocaine with his own client after representing him in Brisbane’s Supreme Court, has been sentenced.

John “Campbell” MacCallum, 48, of Maloney and MacCallum Lawyers on Monday pleaded guilty to five counts of drug possession committed over the course of six months in 2020.

Of the five drug charges, the most serious occurred on May 18, 2020 shortly after Mr MacCallum represented Mitchell Armstrong on drug possession charges in the Brisbane Supreme Court.

Mr Armstrong was given a parole sentence before he and Mr MacCallum drove to the Gold Coast together in MacCallum’s car.

Phone taps captured the two discussing cocaine as Armstrong made a phone call to arrange for the collection of 3.5 grams.

Mr MacCallum waited in the car and upon Mr Armstrong’s return, the pair had a “bump” together, while discussing the purity and quality of the cocaine.

Chief Magistrate Janelle Brassington told the court Mr MacCallum had been placed under surveillance as part of the Crime and Corruption Commission’s operation Jackal, which included his phone conversations being intercepted on several occasions.

On January 31, 2020 Mr MacCallum was recorded arranging to meet another man to buy cocaine.

A conversation between the two men revealed Mr MacCullum was told the cocaine had come “straight off the block” and he was instructed to heat the cocaine up.

Criminal lawyer Campbell MacCallum leaves the Brisbane Magistrates Court after he was found guilty on drugs charges. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

The court heard on March 5, 2020, further phone surveillance revealed Mr MacCallum drove to the man’s house where Mr MacCallum purchased more cocaine.

And on March 26, 2020, police attended Mr MacCallum’s Broadbeach residence on unrelated matters, and his partner flushed his drugs down the toilet, the court heard.

Following the May 18 incident, on July 6, 2020, police conducted a search warrant at Mr Maccallum’s Broadbeach home where they found a line of white powder, rolled up $5 notes and an American Express bank card coated with white substance on his bedside table.

In the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday Mr MacCallum was represented by esteemed barrister Patrick McCafferty KC, who told the court that the charges against his client were the “catalyst” for him getting help for undiagnosed ADHD and PTSD.

Mr McCafferty said the health conditions had ultimately led to Mr MacCallum’s drug dependency, which he used as a means to self medicate.

“For the past three years, more than three years, he has dedicated himself to rehabilitation and indeed dealing with trauma,” he said.

Crown prosecutor Brendan White told the court that while Mr MacCallum had shown significant signs of rehabilitation, the offending was serious due to him being a principal of a law firm who specialised in criminal defence work.

He asked for Mr MacCallum to be convicted and sentenced with a community service order.

“When one looks at the circumstances of this, it’s been a significant time 2020 since these offences occurred, but he has sought admirably to deal with his drug use,” he said.

“But community service would also allow the community to see him giving back for the undermining that this might have towards the faith of the public and the criminal justice system and solicitors.”

The court heard that Mr MacCallum underwent 186 drug tests which all returned negative results, and had participated in drug rehabilitation programs.

Mr McCafferty noted that Mr MacCallum’s reputation had been adversely affected by media reports, particularly those written when Mr MacCallum was charged with money laundering.

The money laundering charge has since been dropped.

“I haven’t seen reporting to that extent involving a legal practitioner in my 20 years of practice,” he said.

Chief Magistrate Brassington considered Mr MacCallum’s early guilty plea and his substantial self rehabilitation efforts over the three-year period.

Magistrate Brassington noted the several character references provided by Mr MacCallum that spoke of his solid work ethic, kind nature and love for his family.

“However, the circumstances of that (May 18) offence are such that I consider they would require strong condemnation and a sentence that acts as an actual as a general deterrence to others,” she said.

“As a legal practitioner, he would have been under no illusions as to the conditions required of parole.

“It is conduct that can seriously impact the community’s confidence in the system of justice and conduct likely to undermine the public’s trust.”

Mr MacCallum was convicted for the drug possession offence in May 18 and sentenced to three months imprisonment with the term wholly suspended for an operational period of 12 months.

For the remaining four drug offence charges he was handed a $2,500 fine and not further convicted.

Mr MacCallum has been a principal lawyer at MacCallum Maloney Lawyers since 2012.

He was admitted to the bar in 2002.