Drug trafficker back in County Court for finality of case

A dodgy coke dealer got sunk by his glamourous ex-girlfriend who threw him under the drug bus in court and now claims any prison time will impact his mental health.

Jonade Hamidi and Illi Glover in happier times.

A drug dealer whose former girlfriend turned on him in court is claiming any prison time for his offending would seriously impact his mental health, the County Court has heard.

Jonade Hamidi has fessed up to charges of trafficking cocaine, cannabis and negligently dealing with $259,010 being the proceeds of crime.

The 25-year-old was to appear for sentencing on Friday but Judge Sarah Dawes said she needed time to consider a report psychologist Gina Cidoni filed in court.

Ms Cidoni prepared a report following an assessment of Hamidi.

The court earlier heard that Hamidi told his then-girlfriend Illi Glover, who gave evidence against him, to “get the stuff out of the house” then leave and emphasised to her to remove the “bags from his office and the safe in the bedroom” once police closed the net on both.

Illi Glover dobbed in her former boyfriend Jonade Hamidi who will be sentenced in the County Court next week.

He was intercepted in a red BMW in Pine Hill Drive on October 28, 2021 and

did a runner towards Santa Rosa Blvd, before being arrested in the backyard of a Doncaster East property.

Glover was handed a 12-month good behaviour bond after pleading guilty to charges of cannabis possession and negligently dealing with proceeds of crime in June last year.

In court on Friday, Ms Cidoni appeared via audio visual link to talk about aspects of her report. A combination of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and general anxiety disorder would impact on Hamidi if he was sent to jail, she said.

Ms Cidoni said the fact most medication for ADHD was unavailable in Victoria prisons didn’t help in Hamidi’s treatment and rehabilitation.

Prisons prescribed anti-depressants which in fact worsened ADHD, she said.

Ms Cidoni said general anxiety disorder was a chronic and persistent form of anxiety which Hamidi has all the time. It manifested in physical symptoms and led patients to socially isolate from others, not follow directions, risk self-harm and were vulnerable to taking drugs because the jail environment became more challenging, she said.

Hamidi will return to court for sentencing on November 29.