Lawyer Briana Ioannides jailed after guilty plea

A former criminal lawyer has been jailed after pleading guilty to serious drug offences, with her descent from successful lawyer to drug-addicted inmate outlined during sentencing.

Disgraced Gold Coast lawyer Briana Ioannides at a Brisbane court for a previous hearing. File picture

FORMER lawyer Briana Christine Ioannides has been jailed for 8.5 years after previously pleading guilty to drug trafficking offences and 21 other drugs and weapons offences.

The 30-year-old former solicitor for high profile Southport criminal law firm Gatenby Lawyers pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Supreme Court today to 21 drugs and weapons charges.

She was convicted and sentenced to 8.5 years of imprisonment with a parole eligibility date of February 20, 2021.

She has already served about eight months in prison.

Ioannides’ descent from successful criminal lawyer to drug addicted inmate can be pinpointed to a turning point in her life. She broke up with her long-term partner and met a new man who would become her boyfriend then co-offender.

Her career collapsed from late 2015 when, over a two-year period, she dealt drugs wholesale and at a street level.

Briana Ioannides will be eligible for parole in February 2021. File picture

Among her around 40 offences were trafficking, selling and possessing drugs including methamphetamine, heroin, MDMA, GHB andsteroids, as well as property and weapons crimes.

“You were a successful solicitor practising in criminal law,” Justice Debra Mullins said.

“I’m sure that prior to 2015, you didn’t envisage standing in the dock yourself and being sentenced.

“You exemplify what happens to a young person with a promising career who becomes addicted to drugs. You allowed your life basically to get out of control.”

Ioannides and her boyfriend’s home was first raided in November 2015 when commercial quantitiesof ice, heroin and steroids were found, as well as 1.756kg of butanediol.

A shotgun was also found.

Ioannides was released on bail before being raided again in December that year and found in possession of products to package steroids and more drugs.

Then in early 2017, she and her partner were caught trafficking 442 grams of ice and 53 litres of GHB.

When it came to debt collection, Ioannides would request payment in a “friendly manner”, prosecutors said.

When payment was not forthcoming, her boyfriend would follow up with threats.

While he was remanded in custody, her offending slowed but did not stop.

She supplied $2000 of cocaine to a man a short time later and advised others how to set up their own drug enterprises.

While Justice Mullins noted Ioannides was a “joint principal” in the drug business with her partner, the fact they had broken up meant she “should be able to go forward without his adverse influence on you”.

“If you are able to control your addiction when you’re released from custody, you’re intelligent, you’re still young and youhave a potential to benefit yourself and others from another career,” Justice Mullins said.

“I also consider you have more promise than most for getting back on the straight and narrow.” Ioannides will be eligible for parole in February 2021.

Originally published as Lawyer Briana Ioannides jailed after guilty plea