Cowra Shire Council candidate Theodore Giallourakis has been fined in the Local Court for cannabis leaf possession.
Giallourakis, 60, who stood as a councillor candidate at Cowra Council’s by-election on Saturday, November 23, 2024 was fined $100 for possession of 10 grams of cannabis leaf when he appeared in the Local Court on Thursday, November 28, 2024.
On a charge of possessing 2.1 grams of methylamphetamine Giallourakis, of Darling Avenue, pleaded not guilty.
The court ordered a brief of evidence to be prepared on the methylamphetamine charge and adjourned that matter for further mention and to set a date for hearing on January 29, 2024.
Earlier, on November 28, 2024 Giallourakis successfully applied for a Section 4 annulment of convictions and sentences imposed in July this year in relation to both drug matters.
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Giallourakis told magistrate Daher, on November 28, that he was not aware he was due in court to answer the charges when they were dealt with in his absence in July of this year.
In sworn evidence, given from the witness box, he told the court he was not presented with a court attendance notice when he was charged with the offences.
“If I was served, I would have turned up,” Giallourakis said under oath.
He went on to claim police had made an error in a statement of facts relating to the methylamphetamine charge.
“What I want is for it to be thrown out of court because of the mistake,” he said.
Giallourakis’ legal counsel told the court “in the interests of justice” he should get the chance “to properly defend the allegations”.
“He has a history of turning up (to court) when needed,” his counsel argued.
Granting the application, Ms Daher said she was “prepared to grant the application, not on the basis of not being served but his “inability to retain and record dates”.
“Given the low threshold (of the offences) I am willing to grant the applications,” Ms Daher said.
Giallourakis then pleaded guilty to the cannabis leaf charge and not guilty to the methylamphetamine charge.
