Alexander Vasile Priala: Gold Coast lawyer’s son in court for driving after smoking cannabis

A Gold Coast lawyer’s son who has aspirations to become legal practitioner has landed himself in court. Read what the magistrate had to say to him.

Alexander Vasile Priala, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of driving a motor vehicle while a relevant drug was present in saliva. Picture: Facebook

A Gold Coast lawyer’s son who has aspiration to become a legal practitioner landed himself in court after he was caught driving with cannabis in his system.

Alexander Vasile Priala, 22, pleaded guilty when he appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Friday to one count of driving a motor vehicle while a relevant drug was present in saliva.

The court heard Mr Priala, the son of Gold Coast lawyer Despina Priala, was pulled over by police performing stationary enforcement at Runaway Bay around 6.55pm on February 7, 2025.

Mr Priala, who was driving a black BMW at the time, submitted to a roadside drug test and tested positive to delta nine tetrahydrocannabinol, a compound found in cannabis.

Top Queensland barrister Martin Longhurst represented Mr Priala in court under the instruction of his client’s mother’s law firm.

Mr Longhurst told the court Mr Priala smoked a minor amount of cannabis earlier during the day of the offence and didn’t feel affected by the drug.

He said police didn’t suggest Mr Priala was inebriated in any way.

Mr Longhurst said the offence would be a stain on his client, who is in the final weeks of completing his Practical Legal Training (PLT).

“He’s going to have to disclose it which will be much more embarrassing than being here,” Magistrate Lisa O’Neill said.

“It’s embarrassing as well for his mother,” Mr Longhurst said.

Mr Priala is the son of property and commercial lawyer Despina Priala, who runs a law firm on the Gold Coast. Ms Priala is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Mr Priala (left) with his mother and Gold Coast lawyer Despina Priala. Ms Priala is not accused of any wrongdoing. Picture: Facebook

The court heard Mr Priala was completing his PLT at his mother’s law firm where he is also employed.

Mr Longhurst also submitted a work licence application for his client.

Ms O’Neill questioned if Priala was a fit and proper person to hold a restricted license, noting his traffic history, which the court heard contained speeding fines.

“His traffic history … it's not the worst I’ve seen but its not ideal either,” Ms O’Neill said.

Mr Longhurst said this was Priala’s first offence before the court.

“This is perhaps the most salvatory lesson my client has learned so far in his young life,” he said.

Ms O’Neill noted Priala’s pleas of guilty and reminded him cannabis can stay in a person’s system for a long time.

“Although we live in a society that has a very high tolerance to the use of that drug, it is a drug that impairs your reflexes so that’s why we shouldn’t be driving with that drug in your system,” she said. “What's more disappointing than that is that a person who’s hoping shortly to be admitted as a legal practitioner would do that.”

She said although young people make bad choices sometimes, Priala had put himself in a difficult position.

She noted it had been hard and embarrassing for both Priala and his mother.

“It goes without saying being a legal practitioner is a privilege,” Ms O’Neill said. “It’s not a right, it’s a privilege and the community places a great deal of trust in legal practitioners.”

She said she was satisfied Priala was a fit and proper person, and allowed him to hold a restricted licence for the purpose of earning a living as a law clerk.

Priala will be able to drive only for work between 8am to 8pm from Monday to Friday and must maintain a log book.

He was fined $350 and disqualified from holding or obtaining a Queensland licence for three months.

No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Alexander Vasile Priala: Gold Coast lawyer’s son in court for driving after smoking cannabis