Jami-Lee Sorbello sentenced for fraud in Brisbane District Court

The former acting principal of a Queensland law firm has been jailed after blowing nearly $90,000 of clients’ money on cocaine.

Brisbane Supreme Court. Brisbane District Court Brisbane Magistrates Court Justice Law Queen Elizabeth II Courts

The former acting principal of a Queensland law firm has been jailed after blowing nearly $90,000 of clients’ money on cocaine.

Jami-Lee Sorbello faced Brisbane’s District Court where she entered an early plea of guilty to one count of fraud with a circumstance of aggravation.

The court heard that over a seven month period the “highly intelligent” Sorbello misappropriated $89,800 of clients’ money to fund a cocaine habit.

At the time the 30-year-old was acting as a principal of a commercial law firm.

The quantum of trust money for each of the five clients affected ranged from $900 up to $50,000.

Sorbello came clean in September last year when she set up a meeting with the Queensland Law Society and disclosed the misappropriation prior to any investigation being launched into herself or “the trust account for GPC Law”, the court heard.

However there had been repeated requests for information pertaining to the trust account, as required to be submitted yearly.

During the meeting Sorbello confided she had a large drug problem but would be entering rehab the following day and intended to repay the money, which she did by the end of February, the court heard.

The Law Society referred the matter to police who Sorbello made admissions to.

The court heard that Sorbello, who had no previous criminal history, was apparently introduced to illicit substance use by her first husband who she divorced in 2021.

The court was told just prior to the offending Sorbello had “a triggering event”, which caused her to use cocaine heavily, namely her first husband reached out to suggest returning to a relationship with the child that is yet to be born, from his current relationship.

A psychologist’s report tendered to the court indicated Sorbello suffered from PTSD as a consequence of her first marriage.

Her second husband remained supportive although their relationship had ended, the court heard.

Judge Brad Farr, SC, accepted there was a low risk of reoffending given she had been in been in remission for her drug problem for a year and was attempting to change her life around and her mental health issues contributed in part to her behaviour.

“But it must not be forgotten this is behaviour that continued over seven months and 43 separate transactions and that you are a highly intelligent, well educated person, and that there is quite clearly here a course of conduct embarked upon by you for the purposes of

concealing what you were doing from all around you, for the purposes of an illicit drug habit,” he said.

Sorbello’s legal team pushed for a sentence of probation or one without actual time behind bars however Judge Farr said he did not believe this was appropriate.

“The courts have long recognised that persons that hold positions such as that which you held are in a particular position of trust,” he said.

“You held that position of trust which you breached in that significant way.”

Sorbello was sentenced to three years imprisonment to be suspended after she served four months.

Judge Farr noted Sorbello would not likely be able to work as a lawyer again and the penalty could impact the employment she held at the time of sentence which involved overseas travel.