A man with a history of drug trafficking has been jailed after police found more than 700 grams of methylamphetamine at his home, with the bulk hidden in his fridge.
Mark Anthony Bell, 51, was sentenced in the Supreme Court on Friday after pleading guilty to trafficking a controlled substance and breaching bail.
Police searched the property Bell rented with his son on August 15, 2023.
Officers found more than 700 grams of methylamphetamine, digital scales, $4,450 in cash and a small amount of cannabis.
DNA evidence linked Bell to the drugs, valued at between $351,250 and $702,500.
The state alleged messages on Signal and Facebook Messenger indicated drug sales, along with bank deposits disguised with references such as “car parts”.
Bell was on a drug treatment order at the time, imposed in 2022 for driving, drug and dishonesty offences.
He had previous trafficking convictions from 2007 and 2020.
Bell was refused bail after his arrest and spent 102 days in custody before being released in November 2023.
He was re-sentenced in February 2024 after his drug treatment order was cancelled and released the following month.
The court heard he relapsed and lost stable housing before being coerced into trafficking by people known for violence.
He admitted he was also partly motivated by money.
He was assaulted and threatened when he tried to leave and mostly stored drugs for others rather than selling them.
The court heard since his release he has stopped using drugs, cut ties with criminal associates and works as a carer.
Justice Stephen Estcourt said Bell’s prior offending meant he was not entitled to leniency.
“As a fellow judge said very recently, the use of and trade in illicit substances, in particular methylamphetamine, causes untold deleterious consequences within our community,” he said.
“Its use and trade generate a great deal of other criminal activity, particularly crimes of dishonesty and violence.”
“Those who seek to profit by causing such harm within the broader community deserve harsh punishment.”
Bell was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison, backdated to March 16.
He will not be eligible for parole until he has served half.
