Brianna Costigan: MP’s daughter in secret life of pyjama coke deals
By day she was studying law at a prestigious university, but by night the MP’s daughter come drug runner was using her red Astra to sell cocaine in her pyjamas to punters outside a CBD pub.
Central Sydney
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The MP’s daughter who turned to drug running in her pyjamas while studying law in Sydney will attempt to have her case dismissed under mental health grounds, a court has heard.
Brianna Grace Costigan, the daughter of Queensland MP Jason Costigan, has fronted the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday where her lawyer has flagged an application to have her case thrown out.
If successful, it would mean the 19-year-old would avoid facing criminal punishment after pleading guilty to two charges of supply drugs.
Documents tendered to court detail how Costigan, a former member of Queensland’s youth parliament, was snared in a major drug probe targeting another alleged dealer – her boyfriend Ahmed Taha.
Taha is currently before the District Court where he has yet to enter a plea.
The police statement of facts states Costigan was a “runner” in the operation which on one occasion saw her sell two bags for $500 in her pyjamas in a red Holden Astra outside the Palisade Hotel in Millers Point.
“She introduced herself as either Rhianna or Brianna and was wearing a white poker dot knee length dressing gown,” the document says.
Police had launched Strike Force Trebuchet after learning of a phone number used for the sale of cocaine, believing the dealer to have “an extensive customer base” throughout Sydney.
According to court documents, they intercepted 1600 calls from the phone allegedly belonging to Taha, surveilled them around the clock and eventually deployed undercover agents to purchase cocaine from the pair.
“It’s the good stuff it has the rock, better than last time,” documents state Costigan said to one potential customer outside the pub.
Conversations tapped by police had identified Costigan.
Her solicitor Ihab Jamal described her as “not the brains of the operation” during her first court appearance last year.
Court documents again detailed how police tapped into phone conversations allegedly from Taha‘s phone.
“I usually do the run next time I’ll come out and meet you and I’ll tell you how it works,” Taha allegedly told a customer when Costigan was late to sell one bag of cocaine for $300.
Former law student Costigan is believed to have married her co-accused, Taha, and converted to Islam after a series of social media posts donning a veil and writing in Arabic.
Her barrister Evan James told the court on Monday he had only just received a psychological report before signalling he would make a section 32 application on the next court date.
She will apply to have the case dismissed on mental health grounds or proceed to sentencing at the Downing Centre Local Court next week.
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