Jarrad Lee Marrone jailed for drugs and gun offences at Salisbury North

A tradie caught with $6000 of meth and a unique gun was dealing to a variety of customers and had stern words when someone didn’t pay up. Read the texts.

A drug dealer who was caught with $6000 of meth and a unique pen gun nearby had his drug dealing text messages revealed by the court.

Jarrad Lee Marrone has been clean from drugs for over a year after he was caught dealing to support his significant meth habit of 1.5g per day.

The District Court on Wednesday heard police found 17.48g of methamphetamine and a pen gun during a search of Marrone’s Salisbury North home on March 27, 2021.

The methamphetamine and pen gun found during the raid. Photo: Courts SA

The single shot pen gun found at Marrone’s Salisbury North home. Photo: Courts SA

A pen gun is a firearm that resembles an ink pen – they are generally of small caliber and are a single shot.

They also located digital scales and $850 in the living room, with text messages on Marrone’s phone revealing he was selling methamphetamine.

Some of the text messages between Marrone and his customers. Photo: Courts SA

He was dealing to a number of people. Photo: Courts SA

Jarrad Marrone was jailed for trafficking methamphetamine. Photo: Courts SA

Marrone had stern words for customers when they owed him money. Photo: Courts SA

The court heard the methamphetamine was valued at approximately $6500.

Marrone, 31, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and possessing a firearm.

The court heard Marrone was a father and had previously worked as a carpentry apprentice.

He started using meth at 18 after stressors in his life and became addicted.

“Since then, drug abuse has been a blight on your life,” Judge Michael Durrant said during sentencing.

Jarrad Marrone was jailed for drug and gun offences. Photo: Facebook

Sam McDonough, for Marrone, previously told the court Marrone was using up to 1.5g of methamphetamine per day.

Mr McDonough said the gun found was inoperable.

“It didn’t quite fit the bullet that it was currently designed for,” he said.

The court heard Marrone had been clean from drugs since being taken into custody in March 2021.

Judge Durrant said he accepted Marrone was dealing drugs to fund his own addiction.

Taking into account the 16 months Marrone had already spent in custody, Judge Durrant sentenced him to two years and ten months jail, with a non-parole of one year and eight months.