Cops bust ex-legal eagle
Shamed lawyer complains she’s being ‘monitored’ after arrest for bail curfew breach
A DISGRACED former lawyer busted for breaching her bail curfew by just a few minutes, suspects police are monitoring her every move.
Brianna Ioannides was fined $300 yesterday when she appeared in Southport Magistrates Court after being arrested just hours earlier, the sixth time in 10 months.
She had gone around to a girlfriend’s house to mind the woman’s children just 25 minutes before her overnight curfew was to be lifted.
Within minutes police were at the house searching for her, eventually finding her hiding in a cupboard.
Last night the 26-year-old former criminal lawyer, who is barred from leaving her home between 11pm and 5am daily, said she had only be responding to a friend’s desperate call for help.
“It’s 4.30 in the morning and my friend’s got two little kids who are asleep and she’s had her crazy ex turn back up,” Ioannides said. “It’s not a matter of having her bring them to me.
“I’ve turned up literally about a minute before the police – it was 20 minutes until my curfew ended.
“By my watch it was quarter to (five) and I got there at 20 to (five).
“I think (they’re monitoring me).
“The other day they got me five minutes late – I was on the way home to my house.
“It was the same two police officers so it seems very coincidental.”
Ioannides escaped having a conviction recorded this time but Magistrate Catherine Pirie said she was “a sensible and intelligent woman” who should have known better than to breach her bail.
“Your client would know of the importance of not breaching bail conditions,” she told duty lawyer Tyler Smith who had pleaded Ioannides’ case.
Ioannides was again released on bail after only a short appearance in the dock.
In May, Ioannides was allegedly having sex with accused bikie Luke McNally when she was picked up by police, along with another woman, at a luxury Broadbeach apartment.
The former defence lawyer also faced a number of charges after a series of police raids since October.
Earlier this month, she was committed to stand trial on drugs charges at a date yet to be announced.
She was charged with two counts of possession of dangerous drugs after a dawn raid on her Bundall home in November 2014.
Police reportedly discovered a sawn-off shotgun, a handgun and ammunition, along with drugs including ecstasy, steroids and ice, during the raid that marked the start of a long series of court appearances for Ioannides.