‘Cocaine Cassie’ Sainsbury opens up about post-traumatic stress, her new toned figure, plans to start a family and how she was spat on in the street upon returning to Australia
Convicted drug dealer “Cocaine Cassie” Sainsbury has spoken about the struggle she has faced since returning to life in Australia.
Sainsbury, 28, returned to Adelaide 12 months ago after spending years in a Colombian prison for trying to smuggle cocaine out of the country.
Since her return, she has been harassed in the streets, diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and continues to suffer from chronic stomach problems after falling ill in the notorious El Buen Pastor women’s prison.
In April 2017, Sainsbury was found with 5.8kg of cocaine in her suitcase while on holiday.
Sainsbury spent three years behind bars before being able to return to Australia, where she now lives with her wife Tatiana and regularly sees her therapist.
‘Cocaine’ Cassie Sainsbury, 28, spoke of her traumatic experiences in a Colombian prison after being found with drugs in her luggage
The former fitness trainer said her stay left her with post-traumatic stress disorder, irritable bowel syndrome and prevented her from finding a job.
The drug dealer said the announcer that it was her psychologist who told her that she was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
“I’ve never really expressed emotion before, I just got over it,” she told the publication.
Sainsbury said this method of coping took its toll on her as she continued to adjust to life at home.
Her experience in prison is an obvious cause of her disorder: she almost died after a bacterial infection ravaged her stomach, causing her to lose nearly 30 kg.
She spent two weeks in hospital and ultimately weighed only 39 kg when she returned to prison.
The infection still affects her today in the form of irritable bowel syndrome.
But she said Tatiana, who she met at a Colombian nightclub and married in March 2022, helped her recover from the trauma of her prison sentence.
Returning home to Adelaide was a final hurdle for Sainsbury to overcome, which she said was difficult.
People recognize her when she walks in the street and it is difficult to find work.
“I had an incident at the beginning of January when someone recognized me in the street. They called me a murderer and spat in my face,” she said.
Sainsbury also said making new friends was a struggle due to his infamy as a convicted person.
“Some people recognize me, others don’t. To be honest, I still have a lot to myself. It is what it is,” she said.
But now that life is getting back to normal, she confirmed that she and Tatiana are excited to start a family and are considering starting their own business.
Sainsbury and his wife Tatiana (pictured) are adjusting to life in Adelaide, where the convicted drug dealer says someone spat in her face after he called her a murderer.
Sainsbury, a personal trainer who once owned a gym on the Yorke Peninsula, recently launched her own online fitness program, Cassie Leigh Fitness.
She tests her rigorous training programs herself before presenting them on the platform.
The couple are also looking to start a new body sculpting business, based on a Brazilian technique Sainsbury learned while living in Colombia.
Sainsbury spent 27 months on probation in the country after leaving prison due to Colombia’s strict parole conditions.
The aim is not to become too muscular, says Sainsbury, but to help others and themselves learn to love themselves and their bodies.
