Luke Cartwright and Stacey Matthews pleaded guilty to trafficking methamphetamine in Port Augusta

A drug dealer at a “very low point” in his life turned to selling meth and recruited a mum to do his dirty work when he wasn’t available, a court heard.

A dealer selling methamphetamine in a country town recruited others to do his dirty work when he wasn’t available, a court has heard.

Luke Aaronn Cartwright, 42, and Stacey Matthews, 38, were operating a drug dealing business out of Port Augusta in 2021 before police caught up with them.

Kimberley Ballans, for the prosecution, told the District Court Cartwright was “in charge” of selling the drugs and recruiting his co-accused to sell them when he wasn’t available.

“He was selling predominantly half gram and half ball amounts and was selling on tick,” Ms Ballans said.

“He put effort and care into the quality of the product he was selling and when a person complained and threatened to go elsewhere he offered partial refunds and so was effectively trying to keep his customer base happy.”

Luke Cartwright pleaded guilty to seven counts of drug trafficking. Photo: Facebook

Stacey Matthews pleaded guilty to two counts of drug trafficking. Photo: Facebook

Ms Ballans said they weren’t opposed to a suspended sentence for Matthews for her lesser role in the offending.

However, Ms Ballans asked for an immediate jail term for Cartwright, saying while there was no evidence of a lavish lifestyle he was operating the business to make a profit.

Cartwright, of Cadell, pleaded guilty to seven counts of drug trafficking, while Matthews, of Port Augusta, pleaded guilty to two.

Brittany Armstrong, for Cartwright, asked the court for a suspended or home detention for her client, saying he was selling to support his habit.

“We have a man here who at the end of a 11-year relationship regrettably turned to drug use and that then escalated,” she said.

“This is a man who did get to a very, very low point in his life and was unfortunately in that point heavily addicted to methamphetamine.

“He was using extensively and unfortunately was selling methamphetamine.”

The court heard Cartwright made the decision to contact his family and change his lifestyle.

“He was able to recognise that he had a problem and he needed to get out of it,” Ms Armstrong said.

“He moved to be with his family in the Riverland and from that point ceased drug use.”

The court heard Cartwright was now working and had returned negative drug tests.

“(Cartwright’s) family is going to do anything that they can do to prevent him from getting back to that low point in his life,” Ms Armstrong said.

Ms Armstong said jailing Cartwright would be send the “wrong message” to the community, due to his limited criminal history and that he was at low risk of reoffending.

The court previously heard Matthews was a full-time mother of three children and trying to rehabilitate from her drug problem.

Judge Gordon Barrett will sentence the duo on Friday.