Glamorous ex-wife of wealthy Geocon property developer says traumatic marriage split led to Sonya Georgalis’s $20,000 cocaine court allegations
Sonya Georgalis, ex-wife of Canberra property developer Nick Georgalis, has appeared in court after allegedly being caught with cocaine worth roughly $20,000, with her lawyer citing "significant" personal difficulties following the couple's 2023 divorce as context for the case. Georgalis, 48, was allegedly found with 66.1g of cocaine and two tablets of the prescription opioid tapentadol in Redfern, Sydney, in May, and was charged with supplying a prohibited drug and possessing a restricted substance.
Georgalis initially pleaded guilty while in police custody but later withdrew her plea, with her new lawyer arguing she had been under the influence of drugs and did not understand the defences available to her at the time. She is now contesting the charges, and a hearing has been set for April next year after a Sydney court ordered police to provide a brief of evidence by 25 September. Her lawyer said she intends to test the prosecution's case, noting the proceedings follow the "well-documented" breakdown of her marriage to Nick Georgalis, founder of construction firm Geocon, whose Canberra estate the couple sold for a record $6.66 million in 2023.
- Developer's ex-wife faces cocaine supply charge after Sydney arrest
- She withdrew an earlier guilty plea, citing drug influence at the time
- Lawyer links case to "significant" fallout from her 2023 divorce
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Geocon is a property and construction company founded by Canberra developer Nick Georgalis. He and Sonya Georgalis divorced in 2023, after which they sold their Canberra home for $6.66 million.
In Australia, possessing cocaine and supplying it to others are separate criminal offences. A court will hear evidence before deciding whether the allegations against Sonya Georgalis are proved.
A guilty plea is an admission to a charge, but it can sometimes be withdrawn with the court’s permission. Georgalis has withdrawn her initial plea and is contesting the charges; the outcome may depend on the evidence presented at the hearing.