Truck driver Christopher Charles Debono sentenced for dealing coke in Colyton family home

A western Sydney dad was busted selling coke from his shed with police finding bags in a toolbox and around his house, as well as a large amount of cash.

A Colyton dad and truck driver got busted selling coke from his shed with police finding bags in a toolbox and around his house.

Christopher Charles Debono, 43, pleaded guilty to supplying prohibited drug small quantity, supply indictable offence and dealing with proceeds of crime before Penrith Local Court on February 4.

Christopher Charles Debono outside Penrith Local Court.

Debono, a manager at a truck tipper business, became the focus of a police operation in which his phone was intercepted between May 31 and July 19, 2021.

It found Debono was using veiled conversations such as “are you home?” or “can I see you?” or simply directing customers to a back shed on the property where the drugs were stored, according to court documents.

In one conversation, it was heard that Debono could purchase 7g of cocaine for $1800 and sell it for $4000, according to court facts.

On July 14, 2021, investigators monitored a telephone conversation where Debono said a close associate “could stop by”.

Police stopped this person shortly after they left Debono’s Colyton home and found they were in possession of 0.7g of cocaine which they denied any knowledge of.

Shortly after the vehicle stop, the associate called Debono to warn him they’d been stopped and suggested he may be the subject of a police operation. This conversation was monitored by police, according to court facts.

Christopher Charles Debono was given a two year intensive corrections order.

At 6:53pm on July 21, 2021, police executed a search warrant on Debono’s property when he and his three children were home.

Debono was asked to declare anything in the property and he pointed authorities to a toolbox in the shed where he indicated there was “approximately 2-3 ounces of cocaine”, according to court documents.

Searching the property, investigators found eight resealable plastic bags containing a total of 5.7g of white powder in a tall boy in his bedroom and $1700 in Australian cash next to them.

Police allege the $1700 was the proceeds of drug transactions.

Searching the garage, police found two vacuum-sealed bags containing 83.66g of white powder in a blue toolbox and 2.26g of white powder in another toolbox.

Debono was taken to Penrith police station where he admitted to ‘supplying cocaine to close associates for financial gain’, according to court documents.

At the station, Debono was charged with substantive supply of 91.63g of cocaine located in his premises and the telephone intercept evidence corroborated his involvement in the sale of cocaine between 31 May 2021 and 19 July 2021.

On February 4, Debono’s lawyer gave the court context to his offending which included the breakdown of a toxic, drug-marred relationship that ended just before Christmas in 2020.

“He formed a debt to suppliers and then started selling cocaine to close associates to fund his own drug habit,” Debono’s lawyer said.

The court heard one of the offences before court was supply of cocaine on his birthday.

Magistrate David O‘Neil asked Debono a sobering question before reaching a verdict.

“Do you want your daughters to use drugs?” to which Debono replied “no”.

Keeping in mind that Debono is working and has three children, the magistrate amended the community service hours.

Christopher Charles Debono was sentenced to a two year intensive corrections order for supply prohibited drug small quantity, supply prohibited drug more than indictable offence and deal with proceeds of crime.

He must also perform 106 hours of community service.