A former chef who manufactured MDMA pills and sold ice worth more than $160,000 has avoided prison after a judge accepted his crimes were driven by addiction rather than greed.
Jye Grant Donohue was sentenced to rehabilitation instead of jail, despite running a drug operation capable of flooding Tasmania’s streets with thousands of pills.
Supreme Court Justice Kate Cuthbertson handed the 30-year-old Parkham man an 18-month drug treatment order after he pleaded guilty to manufacturing and trafficking charges following four police raids last year.
Police first turned their attention to Donohue in March, when an unrelated visit uncovered cannabis plants in his backyard.
A search uncovered 645 grams of MDMA powder, 492 grams of the synthetic drug pentylone and pill-making equipment throughout his kitchen.
The haul could have produced more than 3,000 tablets worth up to $92,000 on the street, the court heard.
Despite being granted bail, Donohue kept dealing. Police caught him with ice on three occasions, including 25.9 grams hidden in his underwear during a June arrest.
A final raid in August uncovered 62 grams of methylamphetamine inside a speaker, $1,350 in cash and a sawn-off rifle buried under his doorstep.
In police interviews, Donohue admitted earning $30,000 in just eight weeks from drug sales.
He said he was manipulated by his dealer into making pills after losing his chef job when his relationship ended.
The court heard his drug use spiralled after the breakup, reaching three grams of ice a day at a cost of up to $600.
“I am told you were then manipulated by your dealer to manufacture drugs as a way of dealing with your drug debt,” Justice Cuthbertson said.
“It appears that your skills as a chef were recognised as being useful in that regard.”
The judge said that while the offending was serious, Donohue’s addiction-fuelled crimes made him suitable for treatment rather than jail.
Under the order, he must observe a 10pm to 7am curfew, undergo regular drug testing and complete addiction programs.
“I consider such an order will be an adequate punishment and, if you succeed, will benefit both you and the community,” Justice Cuthbertson said.
