Matthew Greco faced drug charges in court after stepbrother Jesse Konstantinoff found fame on MAFS

A fruit and veg vendor turned to drugs after his stepbrother – who found fame on Married At First Sight – left him to run the family business, a court has heard.

Matthew Raymond Greco, 33, turned to methamphetamine after his stepbrother shot to fame on the reality show, Married At First Sight. Picture: Facebook

A man turned to using meth and trafficking drugs after his stepbrother rose to fame on Married At First Sight and left him to run the family business alone, a court has heard.

Matthew Raymond Greco, 33, pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday to possessing a controlled drug and equipment.

A prosecutor told the court Greco, of Colonel Light Gardens, was stopped by police on April 14 at Hyde Park when they noticed a car defect.

“They observed an ice pipe and a bottle of liquid,” the prosecutor said.

A search of the car also found methamphetamine while the bottle was found to contain the drug GHB, also known as fantasy.

Matthew Raymond Greco, 33, turned to methamphetamine after his stepbrother shot to fame on Married At First Sight, a court has heard. Picture: Facebook

“He said he uses methamphetamine because he works long hours and he uses GHB and fantasy for a toothache,” the prosecutor said.

Michael Woods, for Greco, told the court the defendant turned to the “evil drug” to cope with working long hours at an Adelaide Central Market fruit and vegetable stall.

Greco’s mother married the owner of the stall, who had two sons of his own.

One was Jesse Konstantinoff, who shot to fame in 2017 as the Adelaide fruit and veg vendor on popular reality show Married At First Sight.

Mr Woods said Greco’s stepfather had a stroke which severely disabled him in 2018 and led to a “bitter” divorce between the couple.

The court heard Greco’s stepfather used to be the one buying produce at 2am in the morning for the stall, but now Greco had been left with the responsibility.

Greco’s stepbrother, Jesse Konstantinoff, was working at the family’s fruit and veg stall in the Adelaide Central Markets before he moved to Melbourne. Picture: Tait Schmaal

“One of his sons, Jesse was doing it, but Jesse made his fame on Married At First Sight and then went on to Melbourne after the father’s stroke,” Mr Woods said.

“Unfortunately this man has been left running the business in the last 18 months on his own.”

Mr Konstantinoff became a show favourite in the fourth season of Married At First Sight after tying the knot with Michelle Marsh.

Mr Woods told the court Greco had also pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in the Adelaide

District Court, with the sentencing adjourned until February.

Jesse Konstantinoff married Michelle Marsh in the fourth season of Married At First Sight. Picture: Instagram.

Magistrate Koula Kossiavelos said she took into account that Greco had struggled with drug use for a long time.

“This has been exacerbated as a result of recent events where the load of running the business in the market has ended on your shoulders,” she said.

“So I appreciate that you are resorting to drugs but it’s not a good thing because it does have a downward spiral.

“So try very hard to get rid of that evil drug.”

Ms Kossiavelos convicted him with no further punishment.