Ann Lakiss-Smith sentenced for drug possession, driving on drugs, driving while disqualified

A former hairdresser for a celebrity stylist developed a heroin addiction to numb her back pain, a court has heard, before she was nabbed in a southern Sydney car park frequented by drug dealers.

Former hairdresser Ann Lakiss-Smith was sentenced at Sutherland Local Court on December 2. Picture: LinkedIn

A former high-end hairstylist with a troubling criminal past developed an addiction to heroin – and a disregard for the law – in the pursuit of relief for her chronic back pain, a court has heard.

Ann Lakiss-Smith, 29, fronted Sutherland Local Court on Monday, wrapped in a back brace with a special seat cushion in hand, to be sentenced after pleading guilty to five counts of drug possession, two counts of driving while on drugs, and two counts of driving while disqualified.

Court documents state Lakiss-Smith – a former hairdresser for celebrity hairstylist John Azzi – was nabbed by police with syringes, baggies, and foil wrappers in her car which she downplayed to officers as, “just heroin I use for my back, bro”.

The confession came after Lakiss-Smith, of Blakehurst, was pulled over for mobile testing on Bridge St in Penshurst on March 20, having built a reputation with police for driving while on drugs.

Lakiss-Smith tested positive for meth but told police she had used ‘G,’ the street name for Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL), several hours before getting behind the wheel.

Lakiss-Smith pleaded guilty to nine charges. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

During a search of her car, police found purses stashed in the sunroof with two pieces of aluminium foil containing heroin and a “crystal-like substance,” alongside resealable bags containing drug residue and capped syringes filled with blood and clear liquids.

Only one month earlier on February 17, police arrested Lakiss-Smith during routine patrols of a Hurstville car park that doubles as a well-known drug dealing hotspot.

Police found Lakiss-Smith and another unnamed woman crouching behind a wall and questioned the pair, to which Lakiss-Smith replied: “We’re f--king together, who gives a f--k, we’re just in a carpark”.

After eventually handing over her car keys, police discovered 1.13g of meth in the driver’s side door, heroin in the cup holder, and a bottle of GBL next to a loaded plunger.

Lakiss-Smith told police the meth was for her friend and that she was about to test the ‘G’ for her back pain before police arrived.

Lakiss-Smith left court wrapped in a back brace carrying a special seat cushion. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

The former hairdresser used to work for celebrity stylist John Kazzi. Picture: Elizabeth Pike

But when asked about the heroin, Lakiss-Smith had no excuses.

“Oh yeah that’s heroin, that’s mine for my back,” she said.

In court on Monday, a Legal Aid lawyer said Lakiss-Smith suffered from scoliosis and had developed a drug addiction to numb the pain as she awaited critical back surgery in February 2025.

The court heard Lakiss-Smith had lost her job as a hairdresser for Mr Kazzi and was effectively bedridden with “constant pain and discomfort”.

“Ordinary medication was not able to cut it and (she) developed a drug problem,” the lawyer said.

The Hurstville car park where Lakiss-Smith was nabbed by police. Picture: Spacer

“Custody would have a much harsher effect upon Ms Lakiss than on others … not only would she have to experience her painful condition … she would miss the window for her surgery.”

However, police prosecutor Joshua Sanders said Lakiss-Smith was subject to an intensive correction order and community corrections order at the time of the offending, and had 40 prior charges under her belt.

Magistrate Imad Abdul-Karim also found Lakiss-Smith had a “long history of anti-social behaviour”.

“Each of the offences in isolation (is not the problem) it’s the repeated nature of the same kind of offending,” he said.

Mr Abdul-Karim convicted Lakiss-Smith on all nine charges, fined her $1000, disqualified her from driving for 12 months, and sentenced her to a 15-month community corrections order with strict orders to abstain from drugs.