Jarrad Lee Marrone will be sentenced next month for drugs and gun offences

An addict who was caught with a single-shot pen gun said meth was the “single, greatest blight in his life” and turned to dealing to support his “severe” habit of 1.5g per day.

A drug dealer with a “severe” meth addiction was found with a unique pen gun during a police raid, a court has heard.

Jarrad Lee Marrone’s decision to self medicate with drugs after five years of being clean landed him in jail.

Kimberley Ballans, for the prosecution, told the District Court on Wednesday police found 17.48g of methamphetamine and a pen gun on March 27, 2021 at Salisbury North.

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.

Ms Ballans said the drug dealing messages on Marrone’s phone indicated he could have roughly made $6500 off the methamphetamine.

“The firearm was improvised and in good condition and capable with small modification of discharging rounds,” she said.

Jarrad Marrone will be sentenced next month for drug and gun offences. Photo: Facebook

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

Sam McDonough, for Marrone, told the court he had a “severe” methamphetamine addiction.

The court heard Marrone curbed his addiction for over five years but relapsed in 2019, due to mental health issues.

“Again he decided to self medicate with methamphetamine,” Mr McDonough said.

“It has been the single greatest blight in Mr Marrone’s life.”
Judge Michael Durrant replied it might be the single greatest social blight in our lifetime.

Mr McDonough said Marrone was dealing to support his own use, as he 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 will sentence Marrone next month.