A 20-year-old Tasmanian man caught with nearly half a kilogram of MDMA has avoided jail after a judge accepted he had turned his life around.
Bailey Shane Ollie Richardson, now 23, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking MDMA.
He was sentenced by Justice Stephen Estcourt in the Supreme Court of Tasmania on April 24.
The court heard the offending came to light on June 29, 2023, when police searched Richardson and his backpack.
Inside, officers found a zip-lock bag containing 55.9 grams of MDMA, $6,593.30 in cash and a set of digital scales.
Search warrants were then executed at addresses linked to Richardson, where police uncovered two further quantities of the drug weighing 215 grams and 223 grams.
Combined, the haul had a potential street value of up to $98,800 if sold by the gram – and more if broken down into smaller deals.
Police later analysed Richardson’s phone and found messages with seven people, showing he had been selling illicit substances, including MDMA, since at least April 16, 2023.
The court heard Richardson began using cannabis at 18 before moving on to heavy MDMA use between the ages of 18 and 21.
He also used clonazepam and smoked methamphetamine for about a year.
He blamed “social influences” and “poor decision-making” for his drug use during that period.
Since his arrest, Richardson has stopped using illicit drugs, completed about 30 counselling sessions and held down a full-time job as a factory labourer in a foundry for roughly a year.
Justice Estcourt described the trafficking as “a moderate example” of the offence but said Richardson’s progress warranted a rehabilitative approach.
He sentenced Richardson to 18 months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for two years and ordered him to complete 175 hours of community service.
Richardson was also ordered to pay $837 for the cost of drug analysis.
