Phoenix Wiki Junior Vaoiva, Goodna, sentenced in Ipswich Court for dealing cocaine

A security guard-turned-coke dealer was put on blast by a Southeast Queensland judge for using his grandmother’s death to explain his drug dealing, after he was busted by undercover cops.

Phoenix Wiki Junior Vaoiva, 26, leaves Ipswich Court on January 30, 2024. Picture: Nicola McNamara

A security guard was busted dealing to undercover cops after what a Southeast Queensland court heard was an “easy” and “immature” decision to start dealing “significant quantities” of cocaine.

Goodna resident Phoenix Wiki Junior Vaoiva, 26, pleaded guilty on January 30 to two counts of supplying a schedule one dangerous drug.

Ipswich District Court heard Vaoiva had supplied cocaine to undercover police officers on two occasions, just days apart, in 2022.

Crown prosecutor May Gu said Vaoiva had first offered, via Snapchat, to supply 3.5g of the drug for $1100 on January 28 at Broadbeach.

He then actually supplied the undercover officer with 2.229g of substance with 24 per cent purity.

Ms Gu said Vaoiva had “expressed a readiness to supply further drugs” on that occasion.

The court heard Vaoiva made another offer to supply cocaine for $1100 on February 1 at Goodna.

Ms Gu said he then supplied the undercover officer with 2.462g of substance containing 0.354g of pure cocaine - which she noted was a purity of 14.4 per cent.

Defence barrister Justin Thomas said his client had been working as a security guard and using cocaine casually at the time.

He said others had suggested to Vaoiva that he could supply the drug to make a profit.

“He (Vaoiva), in an exercise of what I would submit is a degree of significant immaturity, thought he might get in on the action as well,” Mr Thomas explained.

Mr Thomas noted Vaoiva had also been struggling with the loss of his grandmother at the time.

But Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren said that was simply not a mitigating reason to excuse dealing in dangerous drugs.

“Grandma’s sick — and I say that with the greatest respect — so I’ll be ready, willing and able to supply lumps of cocaine,” he said.

“If that’s the straw that needs to be grasped, it’s one that’s best left alone.”

Mr Thomas said he was only trying to demonstrate how his client’s circumstances were more stable now than there were at the time of the offending.

“He’s bought into it (drug dealing) because he was encouraged by others to do so, and he saw advantage in it, and I’m not suggesting otherwise,” he said.

But Mr Thomas said Vaoiva had since gained new employment with a Brisbane landscaping business, had stopped dealing cocaine, and had removed himself from the “scene that he was involved in” at the time.

He said Vaoiva had been raised by his grandmother, but was supported now by his other family members.

Judge Horneman-Wren said he was concerned that Vaoiva had demonstrated an “very easy ability and ready willingness” to supply “significant quantities” of cocaine.

“You just chose to be a drug dealer, simple as that, to make money,” he told Vaoiva.

“If it was that easy for you to start dealing in drugs, then you need significant personal deterrence.”

The court heard Vaoiva was a New Zealand citizen and his visa would be cancelled if he were sentenced to at least 12 months in jail and had to serve any actual time in custody.

Judge Horneman-Wren said he would grant Vaoiva immediate parole on this occasion, but warned him that if he committed further drug offences he should have “no doubt” that actual custody would be a probable consequence.

Vaoiva was sentenced to 18 months jail with immediate parole.

Originally published as Phoenix Wiki Junior Vaoiva, Goodna, sentenced in Ipswich Court for dealing cocaine