Former government lawyer Nick Gouliaditis has been given nine months to prove that he should not be jailed after he was caught selling drugs to an undercover officer.

Mr Gouliaditis, 35, was arrested by police at the Australian Government Solicitor’s office in Sydney in August 2014 where he worked.

Charged with dealing ice and GHB, resisting arrest, dealing in the proceeds of crime and possessing a prohibited weapon (a taser), at his sentencing hearing at the Downing Centre District Court last week Judge Peter Berman adjourned the court’s decision until July 30.

Judge Berman told the court that Gouliaditis had spent 11 months in rehabilitation and was “a different man today than he was when he was supplying drugs”.

“Although he has done exceptionally well and in fact has done all that he could do to rehabilitate himself … there is some uncertainty as to whether that will continue.”

The judge told Gouliaditis: “What you need to do is persuade me, by your behaviour over the next few months, not to send you to jail.”

Gouliaditis had told the court his life had been “spiralling out of control” in the months leading up to his arrest and that he had started using ice intravenously to deal with depression and a relationship break-up.

“It initially helped me deal with my emotions,” he said.

“As my usage increased I started to feel depressed, a high degree of self-hate … shame over my usage.”

Gouliaditis said his performance at work was impacted by his drug use with colleagues describing him as being on “some kind of death spiral”.

The disgraced lawyer told the court he was $70,000 in debt at the time and had used cash from selling drugs to fuel his own habit.

Since his arrest Gouliaditis has attended rehabilitation programs and admitted only taking drugs once since he was charged.
The rehabilitation program run by the Salvation Army he described as having saved his life.

He said he was “deeply ashamed” of his criminal behaviour.

Gouliaditis’ barrister, Phillip Boulton SC, asked the judge to consider the catalyst for Gouliaditis’ drug use.

“The offending was motivated by a desire to obtain money to take drugs,” he said.

“His drug use developed over time in the context of his depressive illness.”

Gouliaditis has been released with bail conditions which include frequent random drug testing.