Colin Fassnidge (image – Seven)

Colin Fassnidge avoids conviction after pleading guilty to drug-driving charge

My Kitchen Rules judge Colin Fassnidge has avoided a criminal conviction after pleading guilty to driving with cocaine in his system, with a Sydney magistrate placing the television chef on a two-year good behaviour bond.

The NSW Local Court heard that Fassnidge, 52, was pulled over by officers from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command on November 8 last year while driving a grey Nissan ute on Malabar Road at South Maroubra.

Police alleged a roadside drug test returned a positive result for cocaine, with a secondary test also producing a positive reading. Fassnidge was subsequently charged with driving with an illicit drug present in his blood.

Appearing before Magistrate Jacqueline Milledge on Wednesday, Fassnidge pleaded guilty to the offence.

His solicitor, Bryan Wrench, told the court his client accepted he had cocaine in his system but was not affected by the drug at the time and had not placed other road users in danger.

The court was told it was Fassnidge’s second offence for driving with cocaine present in his system, having previously been fined in 2022 for a similar matter.

During proceedings, Ms Milledge criticised the broader impact of illicit drug use.

“You’ve only got to turn on the TV to see that people are being killed in our streets, homes are being firebombed, cars are being firebombed, homes are being shot up,” Ms Milledge told the court.

“That’s the dirty, filthy reality of the drug industry.”

Ms Milledge questioned why Fassnidge had not “redeemed himself” following his earlier offence and said he needed to consider the consequences of supporting the illicit drug trade.

Fassnidge described the past four months as “hell” and told the court one of his television programs had been placed on hold during the legal process. He said crew attached to a New Zealand production of one of his shows would lose their jobs.

Mr Wrench said his client had lost sponsors and wanted to “redeem himself”.

While acknowledging Fassnidge’s charity and community work as “magnificent”, Ms Milledge said he could not use drugs as a “release valve”.

She declined to record a conviction and instead ordered Fassnidge to enter into a two-year good behaviour bond, warning that any further offence would see him return before the court.

“I thank you for this and sorry for wasting everyone’s time,” Fassnidge told the court.

Fassnidge first joined My Kitchen Rules as a guest judge in 2012 and later became a long-term member of the judging panel in Australia and New Zealand. He has also appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, hosted Kitchen Nightmares Australia, and presents food segments on Better Homes & Gardens.

SOURCE: https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2026/03/05/mkr-judge-colin-fassnidge-avoids-drug-conviction/