Arabella Cignetti: Popular Maroubra fitness instructor sentenced for coke supply

A popular fitness influencer from the eastern suburbs has been sentenced after she was caught giving ‘coke’ to friends in Sydney’s CBD. Here’s what unfolded.

Arabella Cignetti. Photo: Instagram

A popular fitness influencer caught giving ‘coke’ to friends at a Sydney Karaoke bar has been warned her next offence could land her in jail.

Arabella Cignetti, 24, was sentenced to a nine-month intensive corrections order in Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday, after previously pleading guilty to supply prohibited drug.

According to an agreed set of facts, Cignetti was at Dynasty Karaoke, Haymarket with friends in the early hours of July 30.

During this time she was seen on CCTV pulling out a syringe of liquid from a bottle and offering it to a friend, the facts state.

Cignetti was later seen pulling out a large plastic sandwich bag and offering another friend some ‘coke’.

Arabella Cignetti leaves Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday.

Police entered the room a short time later, finding Cignetti sitting on a lounge and holding a small white bottle between her legs.

Upon seeing police, other patrons in the room called out ‘Arabella’, agreed facts state.

She was searched and officers found the “white bottle tipped over” beside Cignetti on the lounge chair” and a large sandwich bag containing about 4 grams of cocaine.

On Wednesday, Cignetti’s barrister Arjun Chhabra said while his client “was (previously) a regular user of drugs” she could go without them.

“She’s either all in, or out, and she went all in and binged,” Mr Chhabra said.

“She was sharing with everyone and that’s the offending.”

Mr Chhabra told the court his client has opened up her own personal training business and volunteers at a friend’s gym on the side.

“There’s a positive trajectory, and a treatment plan diversion may be the more appropriate course,” Mr Chhabra said.

The Downing Centre Local Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Although conceding the supply was done in a social setting and that there was no “exchange for money”, the police prosecutor opposed a section 14 mental health application to avoid conviction.

The prosecutor acknowledged Cignetti’s criminal history, which included a similar drug offence but raised prior opportunities offered by the court to Cignetti to get help to address problems with her mental health.

Magistrate Derek Price noted “significant strides” to address mental health and substance abuse issues since she was charged, but said her criminal history was of concern.

In sentencing Cignetti, Magistrate Price said the community must be sent a clear message about illegal drugs.

“The NSW parliament decides which drugs are illegal, regardless of how much you may enjoy them, you can’t have them and you can’t be supplying them,” Magistrate Price said.

“The supply of drugs particularly in Sydney City is a big problem.

As part of her sentence she must participate in any drug or alcohol rehabilitation and mental health treatment required by community corrections.

“If you breach an ICO they don’t bring you back to court, they take you to jail,” Magistrate Price warned.