Vera Momcilovic was a successful lawyer with a $600,000 city apartment and reputation as a church-goer when love led her to the dark side of the law.
The 41-year-old patent lawyer, described as a quiet and caring woman, is facing a maximum 15-year jail sentence after being convicted in July of trafficking methamphetamine.Her barrister Robert Richter, QC, today told the County Court falling in love with her drug-dealing boyfriend had been like entering a "black hole" for Momcilovic."There is a phenomenon of intelligent, bright, intellectual women who, for whatever reason, fall in love with the wrong person," he said.
"There are a number of cases that come to my mind of very upright respectable women who fall in love with people who may well be called Robin Hoods."
Momcilovic was found guilty by a jury after police found $169,500 cash in a shoe box and nearly 400 grams of ice, worth an estimated street value of up to $300,000, at her Exhibition Street apartment.The drugs and money belonged to her partner Velimir Markovski, 57, who is serving at least four years' jail, but the jury rejected Momcilovic's testimony that she hadn't known about the stash of drugs.
The court heard that Momcilovic's conviction would mean she would lose her livelihood and home.Momcilovic sat forward and cried into tissues as her family and friends told a pre-sentence hearing, of their shock at learning that the woman they knew as a dedicated daughter, who attended Serbian church regularly and did volunteer work, was involved in drugs.Her cousin Melissa Mustica said finding out about Momcilovic's conviction through a media report had been like "bad dream" while her uncle Michael Vekovic said the experience was like "watching a movie".
Ms Mustica said she had met Markovski and "would have wanted something better" for her cousin whose academic achievements, including a masters in law, had been the pride of their working-class families in St Albans.Retired police sergeant and family friend Dennis John Hughes was on the verge of tears as he told the court he and his wife had been "devastated" by Momcilovic's crime but had not hesitated to pay for her legal fees from their superannuation."The involvement in the activity she was charged with, it's going to devastate her career and future prospects. It's totally out of the blue," Mr Hughes said.
Mr Richter said Momcilovic was the victim of a violent crime in 1992 in the presence of Markovski which had tightened the bond between them.
"There was love there," he said.
Mr Richter said Momcilovic had played no part in dealing the drugs.He said Momcilovic had served 23 days behind bars and should be released from jail and given a suspended prison sentence of between two and three years.Crown prosecutor Gavin Silbert, SC, said an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate but agreed Momcilovic's offending was at the lower end of the scale.Judge Damien Murphy denied Momcilovic bail and said he would sentence her next week.
You Might Also Like :
0 comments:
Post a Comment