Law graduate, former health regulator worker pleads guilty, sentenced over drug offences

A magistrate has told a former national health regulator employee to “get on top of” his pain and to reconsider his use of medicinal cannabis as he was sentenced for drug offences.

Vladimir Charliyski, 30, leaves the Brisbane Magistrates Court after he was sentenced over charges of supply and possessing drugs, possessing property suspected of being used in drug offence and possessing tainted property. Picture: NCA NewsWire

A law graduate and former national health regulator employee has pleaded guilty to illegally possessing cannabis and making plans to deal the drug.

Vladimir Charliyski, 30, pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday to five charges including supplying and possessing dangerous drugs and possessing property used in the commission of a crime.

Police raided a residence in Brisbane’s Bowen Hills last October, finding two bags of cannabis – totalling 153g – in a small fridge.

Charliyski told officers he had a medicinal cannabis prescription, but he had also purchased the drug illegally.

Police requested access to Charliyski’s phone, which he gave them.

Officers found messages on the Signal app from the past month between him and two people – “Glenn” and “Heidi” – discussing prices and quantities for Charliyski to sell cannabis to them.

But the court heard Charliyski did not go through with either deal.

Vladimir Charliyski, 30, pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday to five charges – supplying and possessing dangerous drugs, as well as possessing property used in the commission of a crime. Picture: LinkedIn

Police also found scales in the Bowen Hills home, which Charliyski admitted he used to measure cannabis quantities because “he does not trust the government”.

Defence lawyer Samuel Hwang said Charliyski broke his leg last year playing soccer and his prescribed pain medication was not effective.

He was on crutches for between six to seven months.

Charliyski turned to medicinal marijuana, which he was prescribed, and found that it relieved his pain, enabling him to walk again.

It also helped improved his mental health, the court heard.

But he then began purchasing the drug illegally, for personal use.

The court heard Charliyski had no criminal history.

Vladimir Charliyski, 30, leaves the Brisbane Magistrates Court after he was sentenced on Wednesday. The court heard the law graduate and former national health regulator employee had no criminal history. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Charliyski graduated from Southampton Solent University in the UK with a law degree in 2015, before coming to Australia in 2018.

He worked as a regulatory and compliance officer with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency for three years until December 2021.

Magistrate Judith Daley said Charliyski should know better.

“He didn’t actually supply, he made attempts to. He is well qualified to know that he shouldn’t have, the law is the same in England as it is in Australia,” she said.

“I don’t have to preach to him, he’s got a law degree … if he comes again before the court, the consequences will flow in relation to convictions.

“He wants to get on top of it, if he still has pain, how he should deal with it, and whether he needs medicinal marijuana, because then it leads to illegal marijuana and the whole thing snowballs.”

Ms Daley fined Charliyski $800 but did not record a conviction.