Zack Anthony Donaldson sentenced for drug crimes

A talented Sunshine Coast rapper who was aiming for authenticity when he used real weapons in a gangster-style music video now has do deal with consequences – a real life court sentence.

Zack Anthony Donaldson, 21, was placed on a nine-month probation order and avoided a criminal conviction after he pleaded guilty to 10 charges including two counts of possessing dangerous drugs. Picture: Social media.

An aspiring Kuluin rapper who was busted with MDMA and meth claimed he was using a taser and knife as props in a gangster themed music video.

Zack Anthony Donaldson, 21, was placed on a nine-month probation order and avoided a criminal conviction after he pleaded guilty to 10 charges including two counts of possessing dangerous drugs and one count of possessing a weapon.

The Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard the poet and songwriter, who streams his music on YouTube, Spotify and SoundCloud was filming a music video when he was pulled over by police and found with weapons, 0.612g of MDMA and 0.33g of meth on August 7, 2021.

“He was filming one of the videos for his music and it was some type of gangster like show, hence why he had the taser as a prop,” defence solicitor Anna Smith said.

“The knife was also a prop.”

Ms Smith said the police had dropped a charge relating to what was suspected of being a large quantity of drugs when it turned out to be a bag of sugar Donaldson was also using as a prop in the video.

“That does put into context why he had these things,” she said.

Police prosecutor Alison Johnstone said Donaldson had been before the court seven times in the past two years and avoided a conviction on each occasion.

Sergeant Johnstone said the 21-year-old’s crimes were serious and asked for a conviction to be recorded saying he had been given several opportunities to better himself.

She said fines had not deterred him in the past and asked for him to be placed on a “lengthy” probation order.

Ms Smith asked Magistrate Maxine Baldwin to give the man a last chance at having no conviction recorded given his young age, personal circumstances and future work prospects.

“He can’t travel with a conviction recorded and he is obviously very talented to be able to have people looking at his music and poetry,” she said.

“If your honour didn’t (give him another chance) it would be punishing him well into the future well beyond the criminality of the offending today deserves.”

She said the 21-year-old’s older brother died two years ago which caused his family substantial grief.

“Mr Donaldson has never got any counselling with respect to that and obviously he has been self medicating but … each week he is being drug tested by his father and hasn’t been showing up with any signs of meth in his system,” she said.

Zack Anthony Donaldson, 21, was placed on a nine-month probation order and avoided a criminal conviction after he pleaded guilty to 10 charges. Picture: Social media.

Ms Smith said Donaldson was open to receiving counselling and had made changes to curb his offending that she said was at the “lowest end” of the scale.

Donaldson was also sentenced for drug driving on July 5, 2021 and possessing utensils or pipes that had been used.

While explaining her decision not to record a criminal conviction Ms Baldwin described Mr Donaldson as being extremely lucky.

“I find it hard to believe that any other magistrate would give you another chance, but I’m going to do because I know how harsh it is,” she said.

“There is no way even the softest magistrates in Queensland would possibly give you another chance so it's your career and travelling or drugs, that's your choice.”

She said she understood the man was “young and dumb” but could have used fake weapons in his music video.

Ms Baldwin urged Donaldson to move on from “dabbling in the drug scene”.

He was also disqualified from driving for three months and fined $380.

Originally published as Zack Anthony Donaldson sentenced for drug crimes