Bringing drugs into a town is "felt more" in a small community like Inverell, one magistrate said as she sentenced a man to prison for supply and possession charges.
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Andrew John Wren, 41, faced Inverell Local Court charged with two counts of supplying prohibited drugs and another two counts of possession, after police found a yellow-topped cannister filled with a multitude of drugs in his car.
"Unremarkable" facts tendered to court explain that Wren was pulled over by police on Brissett Street for speeding on June 18 last year.
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He was nervous and fidgeting, police noted, and so they decided to search both him and his car.
They found an aluminum cannister with a yellow lid stashed under a car seat, with several sandwich bags containing what looked like drugs, and a black foil satchel with more items.
Four mobile phones were also seized.
He was arrested and taken back to the police station, where further analysis confirmed Wren had a net weight of 46.719 grams of Methylamphetamine or 'ICE' in one bag, a net weight of 2.37 grams of 'pinkish orange' 'ICE' in another, 7.02 grams of cocaine, and one yellow tablet of MDMA.
His solicitor Cameron Bell applied for bail on his behalf the next day but it was refused.
During sentencing, Mr Bell said that while his client had indictable quantities of drugs, there was no evidence to suggest that he was dealing drugs for any other purpose than to feed his own addictions.
He said Wren had admitted to "providing small amounts to friends", and had conceded it was "really necessary" that he take part in rehabilitation and counseling.
While he had prior convictions for drug possession, there were none for supply, which Mr Bell said supports Wren's assertion that it was a "small supply for small financial gain for nothing except to support his own personal use".
"The phones in the car ... he was intending to get fixed. There were no sims, no evidence from electronics or other records that he was part of any other [group]."
Mr Bell said Wren had just taken steps to address issues stemming from the past when he was arrested for this matter.
The Crown prosecutor said they had concerns stemming from the sentencing assessment report, which outlined a "disconnect with intentions and behavior", concerning his desire to undergo rehab but his inability to do so.
The Crown also asked the court to place "limited weight" on references which said this was out of character for him.
Magistrate Holly Kemp accepted the submissions made by both, and said the impacts of bringing drugs were "felt more" in a small community like Inverell.
"And he has played a part in that," she said.
He received a combined sentence of 20 months in prison, backdated from his arrest and lasting until to February 17, 2022, with a non-parole period of one year.
Wren won't be eligible for parole until June 17, and was ordered to undergo rehabilitation for his drug use upon his release.
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