Latest news with #AdelaideMagistratesCourt
ABC News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
David Speirs has gone from alternative SA premier to convicted drug supplier
Less than nine months ago, David Speirs held one of South Australia's most prominent and important jobs: the state's alternative premier and leader of the Liberal Party. Now, those titles have been replaced by "convicted drug supplier". In a busy Adelaide Magistrates Court as Magistrate Brian Nitschke highlighted a "distinguished parliamentary career" in the decade after his election in 2014, serving as environment and water minister in the former Marshall government before David Speirs leaves court after being convicted and fined over drug supply charges. ( ABC News: Guido Salazar ) But amid the stress and fatigue of this top political role, he It was only months later in September These drug charges are unrelated to the video but instead relate to two separate instances, between August 1 and August 10 last year, where Speirs admitted to supplying a controlled drug. It was on David Speirs resigned from parliament after the charges were laid. ( ABC News: Carl Saville ) During sentencing, the court heard it was the stress and chronic exhaustion of the role that first led Speirs to be curious to try cocaine when it was offered to him by a friend. "You believe [when taking cocaine] you experienced a significant change from your chronic state of tiredness, fatigue and frustration that you'd become accustomed to since you became leader of the opposition," Magistrate Nitschke said. A career lost In sentencing, Magistrate Nitschke recognised that Speirs had "effectively lost the parliamentary and political career which [he] sought to build up". David Speirs represented the southern suburbs seat of Black before his resignation. ( ABC News: Carl Saville ) "I accept that in many walks of life, such devastating consequences may not always be the consequences of such offending," he said. But Magistrate Nitschke also said that Speirs would have had an appreciation of the "criminality and public mischief" of his offending because of his job. Photo shows A man adjusts his tie as he looks at a journalist who sits opposite him At this time last year, David Speirs was adamant his position as SA Liberal leader was "100 per cent secure" and that he would not be challenged — but a great deal has changed in 12 months. He agreed media scrutiny on Speirs had been intense, but it was unsurprising given his prominent position and community expectations of his role. But he said that it didn't amount to extra-curial punishment, or something that punishes an offender beyond what a court imposes. For the two counts of supply a controlled drug, which he previously pleaded guilty to, His lawyer had argued for a conviction not to be recorded against him, to spare the Scottish national from problems travelling. But Magistrate Nitschke said the offending was too serious and there was a need for denunciation and deterrence, so Speirs now has two convictions recorded against him. Awkward timing Speirs's sentence is an unwanted headline for a Liberal Party that has endured a brutal three years in South Australia — from the Having it come just over a week before voters head to the polls for a David Speirs's lawyer William Mickan (left) outside court after sentencing submissions in April. ( ABC News: Che Chorley ) And a state election is just around the corner too, with Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia's team already facing a mammoth battle to topple a Labor government led by a popular premier in Peter Malinauskas. While that isn't a challenge Speirs will have to tackle, he will have to pay a price of $9,000 and 37.5 hours of his time for his actions. And both he and his former colleagues will likely spend plenty of time reflecting on the remarkable fall from grace of someone who went from "alternative premier" to "convicted criminal" in a matter of months.
Roya News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Australian politician fined after admitting to supplying cocaine
David Speirs, the former leader of South Australia's Liberal Party, has been convicted of supplying cocaine, months after denying involvement and claiming a viral video of him snorting a white substance was fabricated. The Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday imposed a fine of USD 5,720 and sentenced Speirs to 37.5 hours of community service. The sentence follows a guilty plea last month, where Speirs admitted to supplying cocaine to two individuals in August. Speirs was initially arrested in September after News Corp released footage showing him using what appeared to be cocaine. At the time, he insisted the video was a "deepfake" and maintained he had never used the drug. He later retracted those statements and confessed, triggering his resignation from parliament. During sentencing, his legal team described his drug use as 'a form of escapism' from the demands of his political role, though they emphasized the offences were committed outside his official capacity. Magistrate Brian Nitschke, however, rejected calls for leniency, including a request not to record a conviction to allow international travel. "The need for public denunciation for this type of offending and the need for general deterrence is too great to refrain from recording a conviction," he said, noting that personal stress 'is certainly no excuse.'
ABC News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
VIDEO: Former SA opposition leader David Speirs convicted and fined over drug supply charges
Former South Australian opposition leader David Speirs has lost a bid to avoid being convicted over drug supply charges. The Adelaide Magistrates Court fined the former Liberal leader $9,000 and recorded two convictions.
ABC News
24-04-2025
- ABC News
Former SA opposition leader David Speirs convicted and fined over drug supply charges
Former South Australian opposition leader David Speirs has lost a bid to avoid being convicted over drug supply charges. Speirs pleaded guilty to two charges of supplying a controlled substance to another person on separate occasions in August last year. The 40-year-old's lawyer previously asked the court not to record a conviction so that Speirs could travel overseas. But today the Adelaide Magistrates Court fined the former Liberal leader $9,000 and recorded two convictions. He has also been ordered to undertake 37-and-a-half hours of community service. Speirs was arrested at Berri, in the state's Riverland, in September last year. His arrest came after a video, published by News Corp, showed the former MP snorting from a plate. The charges do not relate to the video. The former Liberal leader resigned from parliament after the charges were laid. Loading
