When sentencing Shaun Geoffrey Larsen, of Old Wallagoot Rd in Kalaru, on June 6 at Bega District Court, Judge Chris Hoy described the 36-year-old as “an intelligent, resourceful young man” who had turned to dealing to support his own habit.

Larsen, who agreed to be sentenced remotely via audio visual link from Nowra’s South Coast Correctional Centre, had pleaded guilty to supplying the drug a week before his trial had been scheduled to begin.

“If he [Larsen] wasn’t doing that [dealing], those above making money from it would be upset. They don’t take risks. It’s men like this that get caught, sadly to feed their own habits,” Judge Hoy said.

Judge Hoy said Larsen was a “committed worker” who had been pressured to not take out a workers compensation claim after breaking both wrists, and later a leg, while working in a dairy.

In April last year police pulled over Larsen for a random breath test, and after smelling cannabis in his car submitted him to a random drug test, which saw him test positive for methylamphetamine.

During a search of his vehicle, police found six bags of a crystalline substance later found to be MDMA, two sets of digital scales, a glass pipe and resealable bags.

At the time Larsen told police the substance was palm sugar.

Larsen, who apologised to the community for his behaviour in a letter to Judge Hoy, is currently serving a sentence for firearms and cannabis related offences committed last year while on bail for the supply charge.

He will be eligible for parole on May 10 next year.