Former Adelaide lawyer Mark Freer, previously jailed for dishonesty offending, back in custody after testing positive to drugs
An Adelaide former lawyer and soldier who stole more than $60,000 from family is behind bars again after time in jail started a new downward spiral.
A former Adelaide lawyer who stole thousands of dollars from a family member and filed a false affidavit developed a drug addiction in custody, a court has heard.
Mark Adam Freer, 53, has now asked for a new non-parole date to be set after he was returned to custody as a result of multiple positive drug tests.
The army veteran was working as a lawyer for the now defunct CBD law firm Warmings Solicitors in 2014-15 when he deposited two cheques totalling $67,500 on behalf of his cousin into a bank account he created, instead of the trust account of the law firm. His cousin is not accused of wrongdoing.
At trial, the court heard he withdrew all the money from the account within six weeks and spent it on expenses including credit card and rent payments, and at Coles, The Good Guys and Officeworks.
He also filed a false affidavit with the Supreme Court in the name of his aunt.
In sentencing in February 2024, Judge Paul Slattery said Freer’s conduct involved “extraordinary breaches of trust” and he brought the legal profession into disrepute.
Freer – who served in the Australian Army for 27 years prior to becoming a lawyer – had told the court he was treated with the anti-malarial mefloquine while on active service in East Timor which affected his cognitive capacity and caused his life to spiral.
“You believed that mefloquine ad
ministered to you while you were in service ‘fried your brain’,” Judge Slattery said.
Freer was found guilty of a charge of aggravated theft and had pleaded guilty to a charge of fabricating evidence.
Judge Slattery imposed a jail term of almost three years and 11 months. He set a non-parole period of 20 months which was backdated to the time Freer’s bail was revoked on October 26, 2022.
As a result of the offending, Freer was officially struck off from the roll of legal practitioners.
Freer was released on parole in June 2024, with the balance of the sentence due to expire in September 2026.
However, he was returned to custody in July following the return of multiple positive drug tests and later had his parole cancelled.
Freer made an application to set a new non-parole period set, saying he had developed an addiction to suboxone or buprenorphine while serving his prison sentence.
“This in turn led to him using methamphetamine after he was released,” Judge Paul Muscat said.
The Parole Board noted Freer had “little insight” into his current drug problem, with Judge Muscat also noting it was “very concerning” that he developed an addiction while he was in prison.
“During his imprisonment he experienced a number of stressors in his life which, unfortunately, he decided to address through the use of that substance,” he said.
Judge Muscat said in order to ensure successful rehabilitation Freer would need to continue to receive treatment for his mental health and drug and alcohol problems.
He fixed a non-parole period of six months, meaning Freer will be eligible to apply for parole in January.
More Coverage
Originally published as Former Adelaide lawyer Mark Freer, previously jailed for dishonesty offending, back in custody after testing positive to drugs
