Rade Trivanovic convicted for drug, weapons supply

A former car detailer has faced court for 18 charges after evidence was found on his phone when police seized it following another incident at a popular Gympie business.

Rade Trivanovic leaves Gympie District Court. February 7, 2024.

A 40-year-old Gympie man has faced court after pleading guilty to 18 charges brought against him after police found evidence linking him to drug and weapons supply on his phone.

Rade Trivanovic appeared in the Gympie District Court on Wednesday and pleaded guilty to 18 charges of possession of drugs and weapons, and supply of drugs and weapons.

The charges came after police went through Trivanovic’s phone when he was arrested for his involvement in a stabbing which happened at Gympie’s Toucan Cafe in December 2022.

Police found messages on Trivanovic’s phone indicating supply or offer of supply of cannabis and methamphetamine between October and November of 2022.

Rade Trivanovic leaves Gympie District Court. February 7, 2024.

He was also found to have been offering the sale of a .22 calibre rifle, and a homemade nail gun, the court heard.

Defence barrister William Prizeman told the court how the 40-year-old man had a traumatic upbringing, and when he was seven, his 20-year-old brother died in a car crash, his father became increasingly abusive and the family fell apart, he the became a heavy drug user between the ages of 13 and 16.

The court heard how Trivanovic worked as a car detailer for a while after school and managed to turn his life around when he became a role model to his partner’s children, and later to his own son.

Gympie District Court

His life rapidly spiralled again when he suffered a workplace injury as a dairy farm worker and developed an opioid addiction from the painkillers, the court heard.

During his time in custody he had worked as a kitchen hand and obtained a white card.

When he was out of jail he was looking to restart counselling, care for his ageing mother and reconnect with his 14-year-old son, the court heard.

Trivanovic had been in pre-sentence custody since January 2023, and was serving the last few months of his time for the assault charges, which he pleaded guilty to in December 2022 at Gympie Magistrates Court.

He was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an immediate parole release date.