Gold Coast dad Tristen Lee Donno jailed for 40 months over massive cocaine haul

A young Gold Coast father-of-one will remain behind bars after being found with a significant haul of cocaine inside a Coles shopping bag and elsewhere. Here’s when he might see freedom.

Tristen Lee Donno. Picture: Facebook/Tristen Donno

A young Gold Coast man who got in way over his head in the partying lifestyle, becoming addicted to a kaleidoscope of dangerous drugs, will remain behind bars until at least June after being found with a significant quantity of cocaine.

Surfers Paradise man Tristen Lee Donno, 26, appeared late last year in the Brisbane Supreme Court, where he pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing cocaine in excess of 2g, and two counts of possessing dangerous drugs, respectively cocaine and cannabis.

Donno was arrested and charged on January 19, 2023, after a raid uncovered him in possession of 190.71g of cocaine broken down into various weights.

The largest quantity of cocaine in Donno’s possession, 118.81g with a purity of between 75.6–77.8 per cent, was contained “within a Coles plastic bag holding three black bags of powder,” Justice Frances Williams told the court.

A small quantity of cannabis was also found.

Tristen Lee Donno, depicted in early 2020. Picture: Facebook

Justice Williams said the court accepted the cocaine was for a mixed personal and commercial purpose, and also accepted Donno had “battled an addiction” to cocaine, MDMA, and cannabis for a “number of years”.

Donno was originally granted bail, but he was subsequently remanded in custody on an unrelated matter on April 8 last year.

The court heard Donno had twice been before the Southport Magistrates Court for drug-related offending, after being discovered variously in possession of contraband including a smoking pipe, telescopic baton, MDMA, methamphetamine, and LSD, for which he received a good-behaviour bond and a fine, respectively.

Justice Williams said the number of supporters in the courtroom on the day of Donno’s sentence attested to the fact Donno was not a hopeless case and retained strong community and family connections.

References tendered to the court corroborated Donno’s recognition he had made mistakes and was determined to grow from them.

“I note from the references that they recognise that the time you have spent in custody has given you some clarity and the ability to make better decisions,” Justice Williams said.

“The references illustrate that you do have potential for and prospects of rehabilitation.”

Further, Justice Williams said Donno, a father-of-one, had good employment prospects upon his release from custody.

Donno was sentenced to three years and four months’ imprisonment, with a parole eligibility date of June 7 this year.

Originally published as Gold Coast dad Tristen Lee Donno jailed for 40 months over massive cocaine haul