Cheltenham drug dealer nabbed twice trafficking ice within six months

A man caught dealing ice managed to avoid jail earlier this year. But when he was caught selling drugs a month later the magistrate said he would not be giving him another “slap with a wet lettuce” ... and followed through on his word.

A drug dealer has been caught trafficking meth and ecstasy just weeks after he was given a lenient “wet lettuce” corrections order for doing the same thing. Generic picture

AN ICE-ADDICTED drug dealer has been caught trafficking meth and ecstasy just weeks after he was given a lenient “wet lettuce” corrections order for doing the same thing.

Police raided the Cheltenham property of Andrew Smith, 30, on March 21, and found plethora of pills, powders, cash and weapons.

They located two small bags containing 8g of ice, 13 caps of ecstasy and $500 in cash in the bedroom. More drugs, stolen bike parts, false number plates and a baton and a sword were found in the garage.

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Smith told police he smoked 0.1g of ice every second day, and dealt only to his friends.

He said he “made” the sword, bought the baton off the internet and purchased the bike parts from “a mate”.

He was arrested and has been in custody since.

The court heard Smith was found with ice, ecstasy, mobile phones and cash, after an almost identical raid on October 30 last year.

He was charged with trafficking and, on February 19 this year, the court gave him a work hours and counselling-based community corrections order — none of which he has done.

Magistrate Leonard Brear told Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on Monday that it was “extraordinary” that was caught doing the same thing only weeks after being sentenced for drug trafficking.

“He was given what appears to be a lenient sentence,” Mr Brear said.

“I will not be giving him a slap with a wet lettuce for trafficking in ice (a second time).”

Smith’s defence lawyer said the mechanic had a daily ice habit and he sold the drugs to friends to feed his addiction.

Mr Brear said ice was a scourge on society that destroyed lives.

“He is out and about again trafficking in the stuff that causes so much trauma in the community,” he said.

“It distorts the minds of people; you are continuing the terrible trade.”

Smith was jailed for four months, fined $3000 and must do a 24-month community corrections order upon release.