Stephen Sideras was handed a suspended sentence for trafficking marijuana in vape pens and oil

A business owner and father has avoided jail after his side hustle selling marijuana vape pens and oil – worth up to $20,000 – was busted up by police.

A father-of-five caught with up to $20,000 of marijuana in the form of vape pens and oil says he has now stopped using drugs.

Stephen Paul Sideras, 28, walked free from the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday, remorseful for drug dealing, which he started to fund his own addiction.

The court heard that police attended a Lewiston property on June 17, last year after text messages revealed Sideras had been selling marijuana.

Police searched a shed and found a significant quantity of marijuana, which belonged to Sideras’ co-accused, James Paul Collington.

They also found 295ml of marijuana across nine vape pens and two bottles, as well as 504g of green paste, containing marijuana.

Stephen Sideras will be sentenced on Wednesday for drug trafficking. Picture: Facebook

“You accept that your offences were not isolated occasions … you had in fact been selling cannabis since April, 2020,” Magistrate Simon Smart said during sentencing.

The court heard the marijuana found was worth thousands in the dollars but the value is not clear, due to the various quantities it could be sold in.

“I’m told that the 295ml of oil had an estimated value, if sold by the millilitre, of approximately $20,000,” Mr Smart said.

The court heard Sideras had no criminal history.

Sideras, of Lewiston, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking.

Collington, 21, of Williamstown, who has also pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, will face court next month.

The court heard Sideras, who owns a tyre shop, has five children to support.

“I’m told you’ve now ceased the use of cannabis and whilst you expected to make a financial return from the cannabis to a degree, your sale of cannabis was to fund your own use of the drug,” Mr Smart said.

“You regret your offending.”

Mr Smart sentenced Sideras to one year jail, with a non-parole period of seven-months.

The sentence was suspended on a 12 month good behaviour bond for $500.